In a video interview with Detective Sergeant Mike Ryder recorded on February 2 and played to a jury in the High Court at Timaru yesterday, Christopher Shaw said he had hunted all his life, had been shooting since he was 3 and "could have sniped every one of those cops".
He denied shooting at any police, saying he only fired a shot in the air when a helicopter was flying over.
"If I wanted to shoot the cops, you'd have dead cops."
Shaw said all he wanted to do was get his family to safety.
"I didn't want to hurt anybody. I've got no violence. I'm not violent, I don't believe in it. I don't shoot cops."
He said he would not "shoot a cop" and risk going to prison for 20 years.
He and his partner, Stacey Snelleksz, did not want any trouble.
"We just wanted to go bush."
He said police had a "perfect opportunity" to arrest them "with no issues" in Oamaru, but waited until they were on the road. Police had then put the children's lives in danger, he said.
Shaw said Child Youth and Family wanted to take Snelleksz's two children and they "gapped it" for a holiday.
They ran out of money and needed to get nappies and milk powder, so he broke into a car.
He got caught and was bailed to appear in court in Palmerston North but with no money to return there, it was "impossible".
While staying in Picton, they took a Land Rover, got camping gear and "thought we'd go bush". They realised police were following when they left Repco in Oamaru.
While going past road spikes near Palmerston, Shaw said he pointed an empty .22 out the window at a police car, thinking they would "back off ... and they'd never see us again".
"I said, back the **** off, we've got kids in the car."
After Snelleksz crashed the vehicle, they jumped out, grabbed the children, then aged 3 and 1, and "tried to run".
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
