A police officer believed he was about to be killed when a fugitive pointed a shotgun towards him from behind a makeshift barricade, an inquest has heard.

The operational firearms commander - identified only as Officer M - was leading armed officers on the ground as they surrounded William Smith on an orchard outside Goudhurst belonging to his father-in-law.

After spotting the police closing in on him, the 36-year-old retreated to a garden shed and when Officer M saw the wanted man and the barrel of the shotgun he said he believed he was about to be shot.

"I believed I was going to be killed," the Kent Police officer told the inquest at County Hall in Maidstone today.

"Mr Smith put his head down towards the barrel, he was aiming that gun. In my mind he was going to shoot, I was going to die. I fired."

Despite the shots from the Heckler & Koch carbine rifle, the barrel of the weapon was still pointed in the direction of the officers. "I did not know if I had hit," Officer M said. "I fired again."

Christopher Sutton-Mattocks QC, counsel for the inquest, said: "Did you feel you or Officer T or both of you were in imminent danger?"

"Certainly," Officer M replied, "I felt myself or Officer T would be shot."

In all four rounds were fired by Officer M and his colleague Officer T on the evening of May 1, 2016. Three hit Smith, one striking him above the left eye and two hitting him in the chest.

Despite attempts to resuscitate the suspect, who was on the run from a murder investigation, he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics at 9.10pm.

Earlier today the inquest heard Officer M describe the moments leading up to Smith's fatal shooting in the operation which began shortly after sunset at 8.20pm.

Six specialist firearms officers set up an inner cordon around the land where the fugitive was identified as being, while a further six armed response officers formed an outer perimeter designed to cover major escape routes from the rural location just outside Goudhurst.

The six officers of the inner group, led by Officer M, moved onto the site via an entrance from Smiths Lane. A locked gate blocked their way, so a police car was used to break though at a speed fast enough to damage the windscreen but not enough to set off the vehicles airbags.

As they approached towards the stables, shed and mobile home on the site, Smith - who was described as wearing a cowboy hat, dark top and jeans - spotted them and retreated.

The operation's tactical firearms commander, communicating with the team on the ground from a remote office-based location, approved a "limited entry" of the shed where Smith was hiding, meaning officers could open the door to see what was inside.

Officer M told the hearing how he trained his red laser sights on Smith's torso, which he could see along with the shotgun above what looked like an upturned sofa or chair.

"I believe I shouted 'gun' or 'weapon'," he said.

"He was aiming the weapon..."

Screaming out "get back", he retreated with Officer T, who tripped over a step as they backed away from the shed towards the mobile home. A stun grenade was then launched into the wooden hut to disorientate Smith.

Having retreated and established a containment around the shed, Officer M said he could still see the black barrel of a gun pointing outwards from the structure.

Officer M, who was by this point around 10 metres from Smith, said: "I remember screaming at Mr Smith, I can only assume something like 'armed police, put the gun down'. I remember screaming at the top of my voice at him.

"The barrel of the weapon then moved towards mine and Officer T's direction," he continued. "He was aiming the weapon."

Shots were fired by both officers, and once they were sure the threat had been eliminated Smith was pulled from the shed and officers attempted to give him first aid while they waited for paramedics to arrive.

"William Smith probably knew about the officers being there..."

Leslie Thomas QC, counsel for Smith's family, this afternoon questioned Officer M on whether he had been aware that the covert nature of the operation might have been compromised before his unit went in.

Surveillance officers had been tracking the suspect's sister Naomi Smith in the hope she would lead them to his location - however erratic driving hours before the shooting gave rise to the theory she may have realise she was being followed by police.

Questioning Officer M, Mr Thomas said: "We heard on Friday when Officer Y was giving evidence that the surveillance team had been covertly following Naomi Smith, and this would have been about 6.30pm, nearly two hours before you move in for the strike.

"The evidence that Officer Y gave to us was that she started to do a series of very weird movements when she was driving, which indicated she was aware that she was being followed and Y had formed the view that William Smith probably knew about the officers being there."

Mr Thomas continued: "Did Officer Y indicate to you that they believed Smith knew the police were on to him?"

"Not to my recollection, sir," Officer M replied.

Mr Thomas then asked: "Do you agree that that would have been important information to pass on to the tactical officer on the ground, you?" Officer M replied simply: "Yes, sir."

The inquest continues.

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