COEUR d’ALENE — Chad E. Tipton told his friends he was not going back to prison.

The 32-year-old Post Falls man who was known for his body tattoos and the guns he carried won’t make good on the promise, however.

He was sentenced Friday in First District Court to serve 11 years behind bars. The sentence by District Judge Fred Gibler includes three 3-year fixed prison terms for aggravated assault, aggravated battery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. It also includes a 2-year fixed term for introducing contraband into a jail. The terms will run back to back, as opposed to concurrently, and an additional 11 years of indeterminate prison time can be tacked on at the discretion of the Idaho Department of Corrections if Tipton isn’t a model inmate.

He was arrested in December 2016, accused of shooting a man in Coeur d’Alene during a drug deal.

Tipton was being housed in a Yakima, Wash., facility on the Kootenai County charges, and almost made good on his promise to abscond when he and another man escaped from the Yakima jail. But his freedom was short-lived. He was re-arrested a short time later in Olympia.

According to police, Tipton was involved in a Dec. 15 drug deal on the 1800 block of east Jenny Lynn Lane in Coeur d’Alene. When friends of the dealer stepped in, Tipton shot one of the men, Damean D. Espinoza, in the hand with a .22-caliber pistol.

A few days later Espinoza underwent surgery to remove the bullet from his hand, while Tipton was on the lam looking for acquaintances to help him flee North Idaho.

Tipton, who previously spent time in prison for aggravated battery and receiving stolen property convictions, told friends he would not return to the penitentiary. But on a snowy day in Post Falls, officers saw the fugitive walking near Willamette Drive and Chase Road and chased Tipton on foot across railroad tracks and a field before the suspect fell to his knees.

He lit a cigarette, according to a police report, and told officers he wanted one last cigarette before being taken into custody.

Post Falls Police Officer Brad Johnson said he recognized the suspect by his neck tattoos.

While serving a warrant at his Post Falls residence near Ninth Avenue and Frederick Street, police found more than six rifles, three shotguns, 1,000 rounds of ammunition and several handguns witnesses said were stolen. A Dodge pickup that was also allegedly stolen was parked in front of the residence, according to a police report.

Tipton pleaded guilty to the four felonies as part of a plea agreement that called for dismissing charges of grand theft, escape, a weapons enhancement and a charge of being a habitual offender.

The maximum penalty for aggravated battery is 15 years in prison. Aggravated assault, being a felon with a gun and having contraband in jail carry 5-year maximum prison terms.

Tipton was also fined $245 for each of his charges and was given credit for 282 days he served in jail.