Bryant v. State

272 So. 2d 286, 49 Ala. App. 359, 1972 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 841
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedNovember 21, 1972
Docket6 Div. 339
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 272 So. 2d 286 (Bryant v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bryant v. State, 272 So. 2d 286, 49 Ala. App. 359, 1972 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 841 (Ala. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

*363 TYSON, Judge.

The indictment against Wayland Earl Bryant charged him with the felonious assault with a shotgun on David Wayne Orange, a deputy sheriff of Jefferson County, Alabama; and the indictment against Ronald Elliott Williams charged him with the felonious assault with a rifle on Royce Johnson, a deputy sheriff of Jefferson County, Alabama, each of said deputy sheriffs being in the performance of their lawful duties.

The two appellants were tried together by agreement between defense counsel, each of the appellants, and the District Attorney’s office with separate verdicts being rendered by the Jury as to each appellant. Each appellant was found guilty of assaulting the respective officers as set forth in the indictments, and judgment fixed sentence at five years imprisonment in the penitentiary for each appellant.

The State of Alabama presented the testimony of four deputy sheriffs w.ho told of going to a residence located at 222 Jefferson Boulevard, Tarrant City, Jefferson County, Alabama, the residence of one Mrs. Bernice Turner, at approximately 11:45 on the morning of September 15, 1970, to effect an eviction of these premises, prior notice having been served by the Sheriff’s office. According to Deputy Sheriff Major David Wayne Orange, information had been received by Deputy Sheriff Sergeant C. C. Gillespie, Birmingham City Detective Sergeant Marcus Jones, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent Sizemore of the Birmingham, Alabama office that members of the Alabama Liberation Front or Black Panthers were planning an ambush at the premises in question. This information was communicated to the various Sheriff’s deputies who were to participate by a meeting held at about 8:00 on the morning of September 15, 1970, at the office of Jefferson County Sheriff Melvin Bailey.

At trial the trial judge directed that the affidavits given to Sheriff Melvin Bailey by each officer participating in the investigation be turned over to defense counsel for use in cross-examination of these officers, and such affidavits were subsequently offered in evidence. Deputy Sheriff Major David Wayne Orange’s affidavit reads as follows:

“ MELVIN BAILEY
SHERIFF, JEFFERSON COUNTY
JEFFERSON COUNTY COURT HOUSE
BESSEMER DIVISION,
BESSEMER, ALABAMA, 35020
September 18, 1970
“Monday night, September 14, 1970, at about 9:00 P.M., I talked with Sergeant C. C. Gillespie who informed me that he had information that the Black Panther Party was planning to ambush two officers who were going to execute a court order of eviction at 222 Jefferson Boulevard, Tarrant City. I immediately called Sheriff Bailey and informed him of these plans by the Black Panther Party. It was decided that we would make plans for our action the following morning.
“Shortly thereafter, I received a call from Detective Sergeant Marcus Jones, who is with the Police Department with the City of Birmingham. He, in substance, gave me the same information *364 that I had received a few minutes earlier from Sergeant Gillespie. The following morning it was decided that we would proceed with the court order, and plans were made to take enough men to insure the successful execution of this court order.
“During the morning of September IS, 1970, I received further information from Sergeant Jones that the Black Panther’s had four or five men inside the house at 222 Jefferson Boulevard, Tarrant City, waiting for our two officers to appear. I, along with about IS other officers, arrived at this address at about 11:50 A.M., September IS, 1970. We were armed with tear gas guns, shotguns, and rifles along with our regular side arms. At about 11:55 A.M., Deputy Monteith approached the front door of 222 Jefferson Boulevard, Tarrant City, and knocked on the door several times. He waited a few seconds and knocked several times again. There was no sound from within the house in answer to these knocks on the door. Deputy Monteith called out in a loud voice to the people inside the house stating who he was and what his business there was. No answer came from the house.
“I walked over to the sidewalk in front of the house and told Captain J. C. Williams that I was going to kick the door open. Captain Williams and I approached the house from the southwest corner, and I kicked the door twice. The second time the door swung into the house, and I immediately saw standing in the second room Wayland Bryant, who was armed with a shotgun. At this time I heard one of the officers to my left and behind me shout a warning to the other deputies, ‘Look out! He has a gun.’ Almost in this same instant Captain Williams and I ordered Wayland Bryant to drop the shotgun he was holding. In response to this command, Way-land Bryant swung his gun to bear upon Captain Williams and myself. At this same instant, the Sheriff’s Department fired a tear gas shell into the house, and Captain Williams and I backed away from the door under the cover of firing from our officers. At this point, Captain Williams fell down in front of the door and was exposed to the house for five seconds or more. More tear gas was fired into the house; and after several shots had been fired, people appeared at the front door shouting they were coming out. We ordered these people to lay down on their stomachs with their hands outstretched and to crawl to the middle of the street. This order was obeyed, and four men and one woman crawled out into the middle of the street.
“Within a few seconds, officers wearing gas masks went into the house to see if anyone was still inside. There was no one inside the house at this time.
“The five people who came out of the house and who were arrested were Way-land Earl Bryant, black male, age 42, from whom I took a Black Panther button off the front of his shirt; Ronald Williams, black male, age 24, who was wounded in the left side of his jaw or neck; Harold Robertson, black male, age 27; Robert Jakes, black male, age 22, and Brenda Joyce Griffin, black female, age 19.
“An ambulance was called, and Ronald Williams and either Harold Robertson or Robert Jakes were sent to the hospital. The remaining three were put into patrol cars and sent to the Jefferson County Jail.
“/s/ David Orange
Major David Orange
Assistant to the Sheriff”

The affidavit of Deputy Sheriff James L. Monteith, which was also placed in evidence, reads as follows:

“9-17-70.
“Subject: Eviction of Bernice Turner, 222 Jefferson Blvd., Tarrant, Alabama.
“On Tuesday the 15th of September, 1970, at approximately 11:45 A.M., Depu *365 ty Fikes and myself arrived at 222 Jefferson Boulevard to carry out a Circuit Court order to evict Bernice Turner from these premises, we had had previous information that it was a trap set up for us.

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Bluebook (online)
272 So. 2d 286, 49 Ala. App. 359, 1972 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 841, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bryant-v-state-alacrimapp-1972.