A federal judge on Thursday ordered a five-year prison sentence for a defendant he called "incorrigible."
Judge Travis McDonough said it was "unprecedented" that Thomas Elliott was in trouble again just hours after getting out of prison on a prior infraction.
He said Elliott "has a contempt for the law and authorities."
The judge said, "If I sentenced him to 50 years, it would not be a deterrent for him."
It was noted that it was the fourth time for Elliott in Federal Court, which also was said to be a record.
Judge McDonough said Elliott "has a history of violence that puts the community at great risk."
He said when Elliott was a 17-year-old "he went to East Lake Academy to pick a fight with a middle schooler."
On May 5, 2018, a Chattanooga Housing Authority investigator spotted Elliott at East Lake Courts. When he asked him if he lived there, he began to run.
The investigator ran around a building and was able to cut off his escape route.
Elliott then took a revolver from his waistband and laid it on the ground. He later said the gun was for protection.
His prior felony convictions include aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a felon, and two counts of escape.
In connection with the same incident, Elliott served four months in state court after a misdemeanor conviction.