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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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Man gets 40 years in robbery, assault

He rammed police vehicle with stolen car

By , Columbian environment and transportation reporter
Published:

A Vancouver man convicted on multiple charges connected to an armed robbery and police pursuit that ended with him ramming his vehicle into a patrol car was sentenced Monday afternoon to more than 40 years in prison.

Thomas J. Keys III, 42, was arrested in September 2014. Officers had received word of an armed robbery at a convenience store in east Vancouver, where Keys threatened a cashier with a revolver.

Not long after, officers attempted to stop the stolen vehicle Keys was driving. As an officer was attempting to get out of his car, Keys drove his vehicle into the driver side of the patrol car, narrowly missing officers, according to court records. After crashing the car elsewhere, Keys fled on foot and was later arrested.

Before the robbery, the stolen car was involved in a hit-and-run crash in which a man told police the car had crashed in his yard and ran over his foot before speeding off, according to court records.

Last month, a jury found Keys guilty of three counts of first-degree assault, three counts of second-degree assault and one count each of first-degree robbery, first-degree malicious mischief, attempting to elude a police vehicle, hit-and-run, theft of a motor vehicle and attempting to harm a police dog.

The jury also found Keys purposely charged police officers, providing the court justification to hand down a punishment beyond the standard sentencing range.

Judge Robert Lewis sentenced Keys to 486 months in prison.

Vancovuer police Cpl. Ryan Starbuck, one of the officers who dodged Key’s car that day and spoke at the sentencing, said his family is more fearful about him going to work, and the image of the windshield on Keys’ car coming at him is burned into his mind.

“I signed up for some inherent risk, but I didn’t sign up to be targeted,” he said.

Keys briefly addressed the court, and apologized for what happened.

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Columbian environment and transportation reporter