U.S. District Court Judge Harry S. Mattice Jr. today sentenced a Grundy County man to 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm in a shootout with police.

Russell Wayne Smith, 46, of Guretli-Laager, Tenn., had previously pleaded guilty to a federal grand jury indictment that charged him with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He had had a felony conviction.

A news release said Smith had escaped from the Grundy County Jail, was found by Grundy County Sheriff's Office deputies and fled from the scene.

Deputies pursued him to a wooded area where they spotted him pointing a rifle in their direction, the release said. They then fired at Smith and hit him at least twice.

When he was apprehended, Smith had two loaded firearms.

Smith had several felony convictions previously, the release said.

Smith's sentence to 10 years was the maximum allowed by the statute.