People v. Gruttola

371 N.E.2d 506, 43 N.Y.2d 116, 400 N.Y.S.2d 788, 1977 N.Y. LEXIS 2443
CourtNew York Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 21, 1977
StatusPublished
Cited by177 cases

This text of 371 N.E.2d 506 (People v. Gruttola) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Gruttola, 371 N.E.2d 506, 43 N.Y.2d 116, 400 N.Y.S.2d 788, 1977 N.Y. LEXIS 2443 (N.Y. 1977).

Opinions

[119]*119OPINION OF THE COURT

Gabrielli, J.

The defendant stands convicted of robbery in the first degree, two counts of assault in the first degree, three counts of attempted assault in the first degree and possession of a weapon as a felony, all following a jury trial. These charges stem from the armed robbery of O’Lunney’s Steak House in New York City, during which a patron and a police officer were shot by the robber. The Appellate Division unanimously affirmed the convictions.

In the early morning hours of December 21, 1972 Officers Woodrow Dury and Dennis Dowd were on anticrime patrol in Manhattan when they spotted a suspicious looking person who was walking back and forth in an unusual manner. Officer Dury noted that the man was not well dressed, wearing a hat that was a "little small”. The man was later described as wearing a topcoat and a hat pulled down over his forehead. The officers followed the man to O’Lunney’s Steak House. During the course of this investigation they were joined by Officers James Ward and Richard Rossi who were also on anticrime patrol. Officer Rossi parked his patrol car and waited while Officer Ward joined the other policemen, following the suspect into the restaurant. Upon entering the premises the officers positioned themselves close to the suspect in a well-lighted spot near the front bar area which, the testimony shows, provided them, with a good opportunity to observe.

After ordering a drink the suspect walked over to the center of the bar, looked at the open drawer of the cash register, and started to walk away when suddenly he pulled a gun and ordered all present to the back of the bar. Looking directly at Officer Dury, he declared "This is it. This is a stick-up * * * get in back big timer”. Most of the patrons started to withdraw to the back of the bar and the officers moved to a side alcove.

Edward Blagden, one of the customers at the bar, refused to comply with the demand to back up and as he edged slightly closer, the gunman shot him through the right thigh. Blagden fell to the floor. Eammon Doran, the bartender, startled by the shot, looked up and recognized the gunman, who was then repeating his order to "get in back”. The shot also drew the attention of Shaun Flynn, another customer, who looked at the gunman and recognized him from earlier in the evening [120]*120when Flynn had been sitting about five feet from him at the bar.

As people were moving back, Officer Dowd stepped out from the alcove and lunged at the robber and ordered him to drop the gun. But the gunman pulled away and shot Dowd in the stomach, saying "Take that, you —”. The gunman then ordered Dowd, wounded and suffering, to go to the cash register and empty the money drawer. Grabbing the money, approximately $280, the gunman exited the bar, warning everyone to remain still for five minutes. Officers Dury and Ward started out of the alcove to pursue the gunman who suddenly reappeared, repeated his warning, and then again left.

Officers Dury and Ward immediately pursued the gunman into the street where they saw him, still wearing a hat, running across 49th Street. Rossi, who was still waiting in the patrol car, joined his companions. The gunman crossed Second Avenue and turned east on 50th Street. As the officers reached the corner of Second Avenue and 50th Street, Dury used his walkie-talkie to call for assistance. Officers Ward and Dury then called to the fleeing gunman, "Police, drop the gun”. In response the gunman turned and fired a shot at the officers who each returned a shot. Within seconds, a patrol car operated by Officers Robinson and Moeser answered the call for assistance and Officer Ward pointed to the gunman who was continuing his flight down 50th Street. The patrol car took chase and finally stopped the gunman at the corner of First Avenue. The man resisted but the police subdued him, handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a police car.

During the chase, Officer Dury who was pursuing on foot, had seen the man drop his gun and fling the money away. Likewise, Officer Moeser from his position in the patrol car had observed the gunman throw certain items away. Moeser later returned to the spot where he had seen something tossed aside and recovered money which was unquestionably identified with the robbery.

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Bluebook (online)
371 N.E.2d 506, 43 N.Y.2d 116, 400 N.Y.S.2d 788, 1977 N.Y. LEXIS 2443, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-gruttola-ny-1977.