A MAN who shot at police in a three-hour armed siege in Barnsley has been jailed for over four years.
James Wright peppered armed police officers with airgun pellets in a ‘suicide by cop’ bid, Sheffield Crown Court heard.
The 21-year-old climbed on a garage roof and kept reloading and firing a Chinese-made imitation gun at officers carrying riot shields for protection below.
Although the pellets bounced off their shields, he injured two officers.
He said: "I have got one shot. It’s for me or the first copper that steps on this roof."
Wright then pulled out a lock knife and threatened to harm himself or stab any police dogs that came near before he appeared to surrender.
But suddenly he began firing again and it took a trained negotiator to get him to come down.
Carl Fitch, prosecuting, said when arrested Wright said he intended for the police to shoot and kill him.
The drama unfolded on Cutty Lane where Wright was living with his mother and her partner.
He was being electronically monitored and got so high on drink and drugs he stayed out beyond his curfew and feared he might lose any chance of seeing his young son, the court heard.
He smashed the monitoring equipment and threatened to kill his mother who slipped out of the house with her partner and called the police.
When an officer arrived at the scene, Wright aimed his gun at his chest, causing him to retreat for safety.
The gunman, who has previous convictions for possessing a knife in a public place and assaulting police officers, was jailed for four years and eight months by Judge Julian Goose.
