More information is now available in an incident that took place on Stock Island Saturday night.
Just before 9:45 p.m., Key West Police notified the Sheriff’s Office to look out for a black colored mustang headed out of the city of Key West. A suspect from an armed robbery in the city was believed to be in the vehicle. The suspect vehicle – a black Ford Mustang - was spotted on Stock Island by Deputy Joshua Gordon. Deputy David Lariz responded to back him up.
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| Suspect Timothy Thomas, of Key West |
The suspect who was driving the black Mustang, later identified as 25 year old Timothy Thomas of Key West, spotted the deputies vehicles. He sped up, fleeing from them down 3rd Avenue, toward 5thStreet. He drove through the intersection at 5th Street and 3rdAvenue, but hit a stop sign, which stopped the vehicle.
The deputies exited their patrol cars in an effort to detain the suspect, but Thomas began firing at the deputies, hitting Deputy Gordon in the chest. His bullet proof vest protected him from serious injury. Both deputies returned fire, and retreated to cover behind their patrol vehicles.
Thomas was able to flee the area in the Mustang, which he abandoned at 2nd Avenue and 5th Street, just a short distance away. He fled on foot. Blood was found in the abandoned car, indicating Thomas may have been injured in the confrontation. There were no other passengers in the vehicle with him.
An extensive search of the area failed to locate Thomas. Sheriff’s detectives received information a short time later that he might be hiding on Big Coppitt Key, possibly in the area of Barcelona Drive. The search for Thomas continued in that area, with a perimeter set up and a street by street, house by house search taking place.
“This man is armed and dangerous. If you see him or know where he is, do not approach him. Call 911 immediately,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “We are continuing our search for Timothy Thomas. You cannot shoot one of our officers and walk away from it. We will catch him. It is just a matter of time,” he said.
“I am so thankful that Deputy Gordon is safe and uninjured. Just a few inches one way or another and the outcome would have been very different. This just shows you how a call can turn violent in an instant. As a law enforcement officer, you just never know what you will be confronted with when you put on that uniform every day,” said Sheriff Ramsay.
Assisting in the search were officers from the Sheriff’s Office, Key West Police, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. SWAT from the Sheriff’s Office and SRT from Key West Police were on scene, along with K-9 teams from Key West Police. Also lending support upon request was the Miami-Dade Police Department, which sent a helicopter to help with an air search as well as a K-9 team and members of their SWAT team. Customs and Border Protection sent a helicopter as well to assist in the search.
After an extensive search, the perimeter was canceled at 7 a.m. today. Thomas remains on the loose. He should be considered armed and dangerous; he may also be injured.
Anyone with information about this crime should contact the Sheriff’s Office immediately at 305-481-8060. Callers may also contact Crime Stoppers of the Florida Keys. Tipsters can remain anonymous and, if a tip leads to an arrest in the case, the caller would be eligible for a cash reward. The Crime Stoppers hot line number is 1-800-346-TIPS. Tips may also be submitted on line at www.tipsubmit.com or via a text message to 274637 using the keyword TIP136.