Man accused of Fresno Co. Jail shooting testifies

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The man accused of shooting two correctional officers at the Fresno County Jail took the stand Thursday in his own defense.

Thong Vang told jurors he asked repeatedly for officers to arrest him before he opened fire, seriously injuring one officer and nearly killing another.

"The person right here, he shot a taser. He ran at me like a linebacker trying to grab me. He came at me, pushed, shot I think once," said Vang.

Vang said he was both paranoid and wanting to be arrested the September morning he walked into the Fresno County Jail.

Vang testified seeing Officer Juanita Davila suddenly show up out of nowhere. "She said you need to leave or something, and I said man, I'm just here to be arrested. She kept telling me you got to leave."

Vang said he had a gun tucked in his hip and after one gunshot was fired that may have been a pepper ball shot, he felt threatened.

He described his physical confrontation with Davila, "I just pinned her up against the door, I stepped back because I already knew they were coming right here. I just boom, shot."

Earlier in the day, Officer Scanlan's tearful wife testified about her once healthy and active husband now unable to even breathe on his own.

Vang claimed he was fearful his girlfriend's friends were following him and out to hurt him. He said he first went to Fresno Police Headquarters to ask officer's to investigate before he went to the jail.