(Medford, OR) -- A Medford man with a long criminal history, including multiple convictions for strangulation, has been sentenced for illegally possessing a gun. James Patterson was pulled over by Medford Police for suspected drug activity. Inside of his car, he reached for his waistband and then ran when he was ordered out of the car. When an officer took him into custody, a gun fell from his waistband. In a recorded jail phone call, Patterson said he would have killed the officer if he got a chance. Patterson was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.