A Cape Breton murder witness is speaking out about threats he says have been made against him, saying he wants police to keep their promise to protect him.

Norman MacIntyre says people have been showing up at his home and threatening him with weapons since he witnessed the shooting death of 24-year-old Brandon Kelly in Reserve Mines two weeks ago.

“I done 20 years in prison and I've never experienced nothing like this in my life, man. I'm not no rat,” MacIntyre said.

The key witness says he fears for his life, and blames Cape Breton Regional Police for not doing enough to keep him safe.

Police, for their part, are not commenting, saying only that the case remains before the courts and if there is need for security or protection, they will act accordingly.

Twenty-four-year-old Brandon Berthiaume has been charged with first-degree murder in Kelly’s death, as well as attempted murder in relation to MacIntyre.

MacIntyre says it all began while he was working on his truck and heard what he thought was a car backfiring.

Then heard another crack and knew it was a gunshot.

“Then I heard Brandon hollering my name. So I come running out from under the truck and I tried to pull Brandon into the car to get out of there, and Brandon ended up dying there in my arms,” MacIntyre said.

The gunman, he says, then reloaded his firearm and set his sights on MacIntrye.

“I took off heading for the house. Buddy started shooting at me. He blew the side window out by the door of the house. Then he blew the door open,” MacIntyre said.

“Then he came in the house searching for me, and he just said ‘Where are you hiding at, you wimp?’”

Kelly’s killing was over a woman, MacIntyre says.

The gunman and Kelly’s girlfriend once dated and they were texting each other again, he says.

MacIntyre also says the fallout has taken a toll on his mental health.

“The physiatrist diagnosed my with PTSD and survivors guilt. I'm mild bipolar. I've been diagnosed with four different symptoms. Since the shooting I’ve tried to kill myself twice since it happened,” he said.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore