DALLAS (AP) — The escaped convict who allegedly killed a policeman during a Christmas eve robbery pleaded for forgiveness and said he deserved to die in a 21-page written confession shown to the jury Thursday.

George Rivas also told police he hoped officer Aubrey Hawkins' wife would gain "some sort of peace of mind" when he was executed for killing her husband.

Jurors were shown copies of Rivas' statement to police on the fourth day of the capital murder trial. Irving Police Sgt. Jeff Spivey testified he took the statement Jan. 22 after Rivas voluntarily waived his rights to have an attorney present.

Rivas wrote in the statement that after leading the robbery of an Irving sporting goods store, he was waiting for the other men to leave the store when Hawkins drove up.

"I then pulled out my gun and yelled at him to put his hands up," Rivas wrote. "He could hear me but wouldn't comply. He moved his right arm down and forward. I thought he was going for his gun. Please forgive me but I shot through the windshield and hit his right shoulder.

"Please Mrs. Hawkins, forgive me," he wrote. "I never intended to hurt anyone. I make no excuses for my actions and take full responsibility for them. I deserve death and I hope when I am put to death it will give you some sort of peace of mind."

Hawkins' widow, Lori, sat in court as an attorney read the statement aloud.

"I have no forgiveness for him. I don't know. I never will," she said after testimony Thursday.

Rivas is the first of six convicts to be prosecuted for the slaying of Hawkins. All face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted. The seventh inmate killed himself before officers could recapture him along with the other inmates.

Rivas' lawyers have argued that he did not intend to harm Hawkins, but only wanted to disarm the officer when others started shooting in "panic mode."

The seven men escaped from Connally Unit in South Texas Dec. 13 with 16 guns. One gun taken from the prison was found behind the sporting goods store, investigators testified.