SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Emrah Bulatci's voice didn't falter as he recounted the fast-paced chase in the early morning hours of Oct. 6, 2007 that ended in the death of an RCMP officer in Hay River.

"He took a couple of steps toward me and I panicked and ran," Bulatci said.

The man, who admittedly killed Const. Christopher Worden, finally took the stand in the fourth week of his first-degree murder trial on Thursday. As his and Worden's family watched, Bulatci addressed a packed courtroom on the second-last day of testimony.

Bulatci said he didn't intend to pull the trigger when his loaded gun went off for the third and fourth times. On the first day of his trial, Oct. 23, the 25-year-old tried to plead guilty to manslaughter but the Crown rejected his plea.

Bulatci, who was born in Turkey but grew up in High Level, Alta., and Edmonton, told the court he was in Hay River selling crack cocaine to pay off a $17,000 debt to another drug dealer. He said he bought a loaded .40 caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun on the drive up from Edmonton because he feared other drug dealers. At the time, he was under a court order not to possess any firearms.

During the week he spent in Hay River, Bulatci said he sold drugs until 4 or 5 a.m. at 55 Woodland Drive, leaving to sleep elsewhere. He said he stashed nine or 10 ounces of crack cocaine outside of town, returning when he needed to restock.

Bulatci was leaving the house on Woodland sometime after 5 a.m. on Oct. 7 when he encountered Worden outside. His friends were already in a cab but Bulatci was delayed because he went back inside to grab his gun, he said.

As Bulatci walked toward the waiting taxi, Worden told him he was under arrest, Bulatci testified.

Not wanting to get caught with the gun, he took off running, he said. Worden followed him around a nearby building at a distance of about three metres, Bulatci told the court.

"He was catching up and getting closer," he said. "I knew I was going to get caught and that's when I grabbed the gun."

He said he grabbed the handgun from his jacket pocket and with two hands racked it so it was ready to fire.

"I shot low, at his legs. I thought it would slow him down and he'd stop chasing me," Bulatci said.

"I knew it would hurt him and I wanted to slow him down," he said under cross examination, adding he wasn't sure if he even hit Worden because the officer kept running.

After shooting Worden, Bulatci said he stumbled and fell face first into the ground, with Worden landing on top of him.

Worden, who stood at almost six-foot-five, was more than a foot taller than Bulatci.

"He jumped on me or fell on me," he said, adding the gun was still in his right hand but his face was pointing left.

Bulatci described the struggle and gestured with his arm from the witness box. He said he held on to the gun and Worden held his head down and pulled his right forearm behind him.

Then two shots went off.

"Were you intending to shoot the gun," asked defence lawyer Laura Stevens.

"No I was not," said Bulatci.

After the third and fourth shots went off, Bulatci said he ran away without looking back.

"He stopped fighting with me. My ears were ringing. I didn't know what happened. I thought I was hit," Bulatci said.

"I pushed him off. I was panicked and scared and got up and ran," he said.

After throwing away his gun in a ditch, Bulatci fled Hay River, stopping to get the remaining crack and the $13,000 he made that week. He was arrested a week later in Edmonton.

In the past two weeks, the court has heard testimony from friends and fellow drug dealers who talked to Bulatci in the days following Worden's death.

Several people testified Bulatci told them he shot and killed a cop.

Bulatci said he told them he killed Worden on purpose because he didn't want to show vulnerability.

"I couldn't make myself look weak or vulnerable or they'd take advantage of me and rob me," he said. "I acted like I was in control and meant to do it. In my mind, I was scared."

Earlier in the week, the forensics expert who performed the autopsy on Worden's body testified the officer died within minutes of receiving a gunshot wound that ripped through his neck, severed the carotid artery and injured his spinal cord.

Dr. Bernard Bannach told the court it was the gunshot wound to Worden's neck that proved fatal.

"He would have lived a minute or two," he said.

Bannach also said Worden was likely shot in the abdomen and leg prior to being shot in the chest and neck.

The defence wrapped up its case on Friday morning.

The court will hear closing arguments from the Crown and defence tomorrow and the 12-person jury will begin deliberations on Wednesday.