Life sentence for man wounded in confrontation with deputies

BARTOW, Fla. – A Florida man who was wounded last year in a shootout with deputies has been sentenced to life in prison.

Joshua Imhoff, 34, was sentence this week by a Polk County judge, the Ledger reported. A jury found Imhoff guilty last month of seven counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer. He also was convicted of aggravated fleeing to elude and aggravated stalking.

Imhoff’s ex-girlfriend called 911 in January 2018 and reported that he had sent her threatening messages and a photo of a gun, a Polk County Sheriff’s Office report said. Deputies spotted Imhoff’s pickup truck about an hour later near Interstate 4, southwest of Orlando. He shot at them during a chase, but was eventually forced to stop by deputies, authorities said.

Imhoff continued to fire after leaving his vehicle, and one deputy knocked him down by bumping him with a patrol car, the report said. When Imhoff returned to his feet, deputies said he came at them with a knife, prompting one deputy to open fire. Imhoff was struck in the eye and stomach.