An Oregon man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly robbing a hardware store in Happy Valley, Ore., and then leading law enforcement on a chase into Vancouver with a large sofa strapped to the top of the getaway vehicle.
The Clackamas County, Ore., Sheriff’s Office was notified of an armed robbery at about 10:50 a.m. at the Ace Hardware store, 14718 S.E. Sunnyside Road.
A witness ran up to a deputy, who was conducting a traffic stop in the area and is contracted to the Happy Valley Police Department. The witness said a man pulled a gun on a store employee and then fled in a dark-colored Mazda CX-9, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
“The suspect Mazda would prove easy to spot: It reportedly had a large sofa strapped to its top,” the news release reads.
Within minutes, deputies found the suspect vehicle on Sunnyside Road. They attempted to stop the Mazda near Southeast 132nd Avenue, but the driver refused, leading deputies on a pursuit north on Interstate 205 into Vancouver.
Deputies said that “during the pursuit, the sofa remained firmly affixed to the vehicle’s roof.”
The suspect finally stopped and ran from the SUV near Southeast 119th Avenue and Southeast McGillivray Boulevard. He was caught a block away, the news release says.
Deputies detained a passenger, who was later released, and found the gun believed to have been used in the robbery in the SUV. They also discovered the vehicle had been reported stolen in Portland, according to the news release.
The suspect, identified as Joseph Tyler Johnson, 34, of Milwaukie, Ore., was arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery, unlawful use of a weapon, attempting to elude, reckless driving and reckless endangerment.
“The stolen vehicle (and sofa, of uncertain provenance at this writing) were towed from the scene,” the news release states.
