Manhunt over after murder suspect arrested
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A man wanted in connection with death of woman found injured in the street has been found and arrested on suspicion of murder, police said. Paul Antony Butler, 53, was located and arrested in the Liskeard area of Cornwall, which is around 20 miles from Plymouth.
Devon and Cornwall Police has referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of “previous contact with the victim”. Officers launched a manhunt for Butler after the woman in her 40s was attacked in Plymouth on Wednesday night.
The woman, who has not been officially named, died in hospital in the early hours of Thursday. “He is currently in police custody having been arrested on suspicion of murder,” a force spokesman said. “Officers would like to thank the local community for their assistance and their patience while our inquiries continue into this incident.
“A mandatory referral will be made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to previous contact with the victim. “This is normal procedure in these circumstances.”. Police had earlier warned the public not to approach Butler and said he could be “armed and dangerous”.
Police were called at 8.55pm on Wednesday after the woman was found in West Hoe Road. A shop worker said she heard “screams” and people asking for an ambulance to be called at the time of the incident. David Badham, who runs the Central Convenience shop on the street, told the PA news agency: “I had a member of staff working and she said she heard screams.
