A Marion man was sentenced to 41 years in prison for killing a state trooper in DeKalb County in March 2023.
Terry Sands III pleaded guilty in January to reduced charges of aggravated battery and resisting arrest in connection to the death of Master Trooper James Bailey on I-69.
The Journal Gazette reported Thursday that DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Adam Squiller accepted the guilty plea and sentenced Sands to 41 years in prison.
Bailey was directing traffic amid a string of weather-related traffic crashes on the interstate during a snowstorm. Sands was fleeing police north from Fort Wayne and heading toward the area of the crashes. Bailey deployed stop sticks in an effort to end the pursuit, and police said Sands swerved to avoid them, striking the trooper.
In a statement released after the sentencing, the Indiana State Police spoke for Bailey’s family in support of the guilty plea and sentencing in an effort to move forward. The agency praised Bailey’s dedication and commitment to his fellow officers and the community.
