He was a gentle giant of a cop who survived being shot in an incident which shocked Britain. Sergeant James Bowden, who has died aged 78, was one of two officers who carried out a routine check which led to a cold blooded killing by a gunman with a grudge.
In the early hours of September 14th 1989, Inspector Ray Codling, 49, was shot dead after he and Sergeant Bowden, then 44, went to the west bound area of Birch Service Station on the M62 to make inquiries about a van.
There, they saw a man in a motorcycle leather jacket and crash helmet. They conducted a check on his details and he provided a false ID, before asking the officers directions to the café and walking towards it. When the officers went to check his bike, they saw him running towards them.
