VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A man will spend nearly a quarter of a century behind bars following sentencing in Vigo County.
Christopher Ian Backfish, pleaded guilty to a singular charge of attempted murder as part of a plea deal that dropped several other charges.
The charges stem from the events of April, 2022, when Backfish reportedly fired a gun at law enforcement officers attempting to make a traffic stop before fleeing the scene. Police located Backfish at a residence near 7th and Putnam Streets where a lengthy stand-off resulted in Backfish’s arrest.
Court officials said Backfish was sentenced Monday pursuant to the plea agreement. Backfish will serve 25 years behind bars. Due to a lengthy stay in jail awaiting the completion of the case through the court system, Backfish will receive credit for 772 days time served.
When reached for a statement regarding the case, Prosecutor Terry Modesitt said the situation could have been much worse.
“We are thankful that none of our officers were injured by the shots fired by Christopher Backfish. Our officers and our community as a whole have been impacted far more than other communities of similar size with our loss of officers to gun violence,” said Modesitt. “We have made it our mission to send violent gun offenders to prison for lengthy sentences. With this sentence, Mr. Backfish should remain in our prisons until at least 2040.”
As part of the plea deal, a charge of aggravated battery, criminal recklessness, and intimidation was dropped.
