Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Criminal justice system struggles to help people
TEKOA — A 31-year-old Tekoa man faces criminal charges for threatening and attacking his grandparents despite their insistence he is mentally ill.
Ryan G. Keller was arrested on March 30 after he allegedly resisted Whitman County deputies and assaulted his grandmother.
He faces two counts of harassment – threats to kill, two counts of
assault in the fourth degree – domestic violence, and resisting arrest in Whitman County Superior Court
The arrest happened during a second call for help on the same day.
“(Grandmother) had called in and said (Keller) was schizophrenic and was having delusions,” reported Deputy Sgt. Dan Brown. “(Keller) thought a serial killer had been in their house and there were human remains in the microwave.”
Prosecutor Denis Tracy said people suffering from mental health issues are falling into the criminal justice system because it is the only means of protecting others from harm.
“It’s a terrible problem and we struggle with it. People with mental health issues should not be in jail,” he said. “On the other hand, society has to have some protections for people, who are not suffering from mental illness, that need to be able to live their lives in peace and not have their property destroyed or be assaulted.”
Keller is accused of shoving and hitting his grandmother, and threatening to kill her and her husband. The victim described bruises she received from the encounter with her grandson in their home to deputies.
Keller has reportedly been held for mental health treatments before and on March 30 “he was off his medications,” according to his family.
Deputies tried to talk Keller into surrendering on March 30, but the 6-foot, 370-pound man refused. He reportedly sat on a couch facing the cushions with his hands hidden. He allegedly began fighting with deputies when they tried to handcuff him and a Taser was used to make him stop, according to court records.
On Dec. 5, Keller faced off with deputies holding a large knife and it ended when a deputy shot him with a “less lethal” beanbag round from a shotgun. He was taken to a mental health care facility in Stevens County after his arrest.
The victims told deputies Keller has been violent with them before. Keller allegedly struck his grandmother with a knife after being released from a hospital.
“(Keller) was hitting her with the side of the knife,” wrote a deputy. “(She) was scared and shaking” while talking about it.
Keller may be facing a protection order to keep him from his grandparents in addition to any criminal penalties, according to court records.
His family told deputies Keller is in need of mental health care and they fear him, but the only way to keep his grandparents safe is to have his behavior handled by the police and courts.
“The criminal just system is trying to bridge that gap and it’s not well suited for it,” said Traci. “Many courts and counties are trying to address this problem. There are limited ways we can address it and we struggle.”
Bill Stevenson is the former editor of the Whitman County Gazette, Colfax Daily Bulletin and Franklin Connection. He has nearly 30 years of journalism experience covering news in Eastern Washington.
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