A Lakeland man who fired gunshots at seven Polk County Sheriff’s deputies after a high-speed chase in 2018 was sentenced to life in prison Thursday.

Joshua Imhoff received the life sentence for the charges of seven counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. In addition, Circuit Judge Keith Spoto sentenced Imhoff to five years of aggravated stalking and 15 years for fleeing to elude.

Imhoff, 34, was convicted in November after jurors deliberated for about 90 minutes.

Assistant State Attorney Seth Solomon prosecuted the case.

Imhoff led deputies on a chase on State Road 33, was struck by a deputy’s cruiser when the deputy attempted to stop him, then later tried to run away after stop sticks caused the tires on his truck to deflate. Imhoff got out of his truck and started firing shots at the deputies, who described “bullets whizzing by their heads” in testimony.

The incident started in Davenport about 4 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2018 when Imhoff began exchanging Facebook messages with his ex-girlfriend.

He became angry when she told him that she couldn’t see his child at that particular time.

“Whatever man I see you with, I’m going to pop him,” Imhoff wrote. “The only way you’re going to get rid of me is to have me killed.”

State Attorney Brian Haas thanks Assistant State Attorney Solomon and Polk Sheriff’s deputies for their work on the case.