DETROIT – A Detroit man has been sentenced for a crime spree that included kicking in the door of his mother’s home, stealing a car from a retired police officer, firing shots on multiple instances and breaking into a house.
Crime spree
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On April 3, 2020, Ivan Xavier Armstrong, 38, of Detroit, went on a two-hour violent crime spree that began at his mother’s house on the city’s east side, according to court records.
Armstrong went to his mother’s house early in the morning and kicked in the front door, police said. He prevented her from leaving the home, damaged her phone and fired shots, authorities said.
Then, Armstrong left the area on foot and approached a retired police officer sitting in a Hyundai Sonata, according to officials. Armstrong tapped the window with his gun and ordered the man to get out of the car, court records show.
When Armstrong racked the gun, the retired officer got out. Armstrong robbed the man of his wallet, which contained his retired police officer credentials, according to authorities.
At 5:04 a.m. that day, Detroit police were called to a shooting scene at a gas station at 14820 East Jefferson Avenue. The shooter fled before they arrived, but video showed that Armstrong had pulled up in the stolen Sonata, officials said.
Armstrong got into a physical fight at the gas station and fired a handgun at people inside the store, video showed. Nobody was injured, police said.
Arrest, sentencing
Armstrong was arrested later the morning of April 3 after breaking into a home on Alter Road in Detroit, records show.
He pleaded guilty to the charges of carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and was sentenced Tuesday (Feb. 22, 2022) to 145 months in federal prison.
“Violent offenders like Mr. Armstrong are our focus,” United States Attorney Dawn Ison said. “We are committed to bringing the full weight of the justice system to bear on individuals who are making our neighborhoods unsafe and who prey upon our citizens.”
