Taney County Man Sentenced for Crimes in Springfield

A Taney County man who shot at a police officer during a high-speed pursuit has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing firearms.

According to a release from the United States Attorney's Office Western District of Missouri, Blake Christopher Basten, 34, of Merriam Woods was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in two separate and unrelated cases.

Both cases happened in Springfield in 2022 the first in June when Basten was found to have a pistol in his possession claiming he traded drugs for the handgun with the second taking place in August when Springfield Police Officers attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle Basten was driving which led to a pursuit and the discovery of other firearms.

Basten was on parole for involuntary manslaughter at the time of these incidents.