Did a Vancouver man whose trial opened Monday intend to assault police officers by ramming a patrol vehicle with his car? Or did an accident occur as he was trying to evade police after robbing a convenience store at gunpoint?
Jurors will weigh that question as they decide the guilt of Thomas J. Keys III.
“This case is about holding (the defendant) responsible for acts that he committed, not for acts he didn’t commit,” defense attorney Heather Carroll said. “The driver was not trying to run officers down.”
Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Michael Vaughn told jurors that Keys intentionally accelerated his getaway vehicle toward officers who were blocking his escape. He slammed into a patrol vehicle, narrowly missing an officer and his police K-9, on the night of Sept. 25, 2014.
“This trial is about the defendant committing a series of crimes,” he said. “It’s a night many victims won’t forget, a night that’s somewhat miraculous that no one was injured, a night that (the defendant) ran wild throughout east Vancouver.”
Keys, 42, faces charges of first-degree robbery, four counts of first-degree assault, four counts of second-degree assault, first-degree malicious mischief, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, hit-and-run, theft of a motor vehicle and attempting to harm a police dog.
Opening statements in his trial were made Monday afternoon in Clark County Superior Court.
Carroll told jurors she’s confident they won’t find her client guilty of first-degree assault on the officers.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers responded shortly after 10:15 p.m. to an armed robbery at the AM/PM convenience store at 2714 N.E. 112th Ave. They were told a man, later identified as Keys, had threatened a cashier with a revolver and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Officers obtained a description of Keys’ getaway car, a Honda CRX, and learned it was reported stolen on Sept. 18, court documents said.
A few minutes later, Vancouver police officers Tim Lear and Missy Skeeter spotted the Honda in the 2400 block of Northeast 114th Court, which is a dead-end, and attempted to stop the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
A third officer, Ryan Starbuck, arrived to assist and was getting out of his vehicle with his police dog, Ivar, when Keys allegedly drove directly at them. Starbuck said he grabbed Ivar and was barely able to get out of the way before Keys’ vehicle struck his driver’s side front and rear doors, according to court documents.
Keys also allegedly drove directly at Skeeter and Officer Jamie Harke, missing Skeeter by about 4 feet, the affidavit said.
Police said Keys subsequently crashed the stolen car into a tree in the 12400 block of Northeast 28th Street and ran.
Officers from the Southwest Washington Regional SWAT team responded to assist with a search of the area, which ended unsuccessfully at about 2 a.m.
Later that morning, a different convenience store clerk called 911 to report that Keys had just been in his store and asked for change for the bus. The clerk said he recognized Keys from a photo shown on the morning TV news, court records said.
An officer went to the convenience store, a Chevron at Northeast 18th Street and 162nd Avenue, and found Keys waiting across the street at a C-Tran bus stop. He was subsequently arrested.
Just before the robbery, the Honda CRX was allegedly involved in an accident in the Sunnyside neighborhood. Josh Ramsey told police the Honda had crashed into his front yard about 10 p.m. at Northeast 105th Street and 94th Avenue. When Ramsey went to check on the driver, the driver drove over Ramsey’s left foot and sped off, court records said. Ramsey was treated for his injuries at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.
Keys’ trial is scheduled to continue today with witness testimony.
