People v. Yang CA5

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 27, 2015
DocketF067353
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Yang CA5 (People v. Yang CA5) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Yang CA5, (Cal. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Filed 10/27/15 P. v. Yang CA5

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE, F067353 Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No. F11907074) v.

SENG YANG, OPINION Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Fresno County. Arlan L. Harrell, Judge. Manuel J. Baglanis, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Michael P. Farrell, Assistant Attorney General, Carlos A. Martinez and Stephen G. Herndon, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. -ooOoo- INTRODUCTION A jury convicted appellant Seng Yang of assault on a peace officer with a semiautomatic firearm (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (d)(2);1 count 1) after he had an encounter with two police officers while holding a handgun. The jury found true two firearm allegations associated with that count (§§ 12022.53, subd. (b), 12022.5, subd. (a)). Appellant was also convicted of assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon other than a firearm (§ 245, subd. (c); count 2) after he discarded his gun and ran at the lead officer while brandishing a knife. The two officers shot appellant multiple times, resulting in his hospitalization. Appellant was sentenced to an aggregate prison term of 16 years four months. Appellant raises four issues on appeal, which we address in chronological order of events. First, he contends the trial court erred when it denied his pretrial motion pursuant to Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436 (Miranda) and its progeny to suppress recorded statements he made to a detective while hospitalized. His statements suggested he attempted to shoot his gun during the encounter. He seeks reversal of count 1. Second, he asserts the trial court erred when it directed the jury to resume deliberations after it announced it was unable to reach a verdict on count 1, although it had reached a verdict on count 2. After continuing deliberations the jury listened to appellant’s interview with the detective and shortly thereafter reached a verdict on count 1, which he contends should be reversed. Third, he argues there is not substantial evidence to support his conviction of count 1 for assault with a firearm upon a peace officer. Finally, he maintains the cumulative effect of the alleged errors rendered his trial fundamentally unfair, requiring reversal of the entire judgment. Appellant’s arguments are without merit. We affirm.

1 All future statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise noted.

2. FACTUAL BACKGROUND Appellant did not offer any evidence at trial. The prosecution’s case is summarized below. I. Appellant’s Encounter with Law Enforcement. Shortly after midnight on December 12, 2011, Fresno Police Department Officers Bernard Finley and Sergio Gonzalez were dispatched to appellant’s residence for a reported “family disturbance” involving a male subject. Both officers arrived in separate marked patrol vehicles wearing police uniforms. In response to Finley’s knocking, an older woman opened the front door and an outer screened security door. The woman appeared frightened. After opening the door and security gate she immediately walked back towards the end of the hallway and got out of the way without saying anything. Finley could see into the house and saw appellant at the end of a hallway inside a bedroom. Although it was dark outside and the hallway was dark, appellant’s room was well lit so Finley had a clear view of him. Finley remained standing at the open front doorway. Appellant stood approximately three to four feet inside the bedroom but was visible through the bedroom doorway. Finley could not see appellant’s right arm or hand. Appellant acted “fidgety” and appeared nervous. Finley ordered appellant to show his hands and to come out of the bedroom. Appellant asked Finley to come inside. Finley continued to order appellant to show his hands and appellant continued to tell Finley to come inside. Finley drew his service weapon but did not aim it at appellant, holding it in front of his stomach pointed downwards. Finley thought appellant might have mental problems or was under the influence of something Finley continued to order appellant to show his hands. Appellant continued to make “fidgety movements” and, as appellant moved to his left, Finley saw a black semiautomatic handgun in appellant’s right hand. Appellant’s gun was pointed downwards and Finley could not see if appellant’s finger was on the trigger. Finley

3. alerted Gonzalez about the gun, and Finley raised his weapon and aimed it at appellant. Finley ordered appellant to put down the gun, which appellant did not do. Appellant continued to tell Finley to come inside. At some point, appellant said he had more guns. Finley described appellant as appearing “really agitated, refusing to put the gun down.” Finley heard appellant say, “Shoot me. Shoot me.” Finley was concerned that appellant “wanted to commit suicide by cop.” Gonzalez had remained outside the residence and stood to the left of Finley in a position where he could not see appellant. Gonzalez heard appellant say he had guns and “Don’t shoot me.” He heard Finley order appellant to drop his gun and come out, but appellant told Finley to come inside. Gonzalez described appellant as not responding to Finley’s commands. Appellant’s younger brother and sister were inside the house in their respective bedrooms during this encounter. Appellant’s brother heard officers at the front door identify themselves and a few moments later appellant was told more than once to drop whatever he held in his hands. He heard appellant tell the officers “at least five times” to shoot him in the head or something similar. He did not hear appellant yell anything else to the officers. Appellant’s sister heard her mother open the front door around midnight and she heard the police officers identify themselves. She heard the officers loudly tell appellant more than once to come outside and put his gun down. She heard appellant say more than once that he wanted the officers to shoot him in the head. Because appellant was not complying and the situation seemed serious, Finley decided to give a “warning shot” to get appellant’s attention. Finley told Gonzalez his plan, asked Gonzalez to back up, and he fired a single shot downwards into a flower bed that was next to the front door. After firing, Finley looked at appellant, who did not react. Finley resumed ordering him to put down his gun, and he noticed appellant was

4. starting to breathe very heavily and appeared more agitated. Finley believed the situation was escalating and becoming lethal. Finley continued to order appellant to put his gun down. Appellant began walking towards the bedroom door, towards Finley, and appellant simultaneously raised his gun arm. Finley could not see the barrel of appellant’s weapon. Based on the movement of appellant’s right arm, Finley assumed the barrel of appellant’s gun was raising up in his direction and appellant might use his gun. Finley fired his weapon once or twice as appellant exited the bedroom and turned towards appellant’s right (Finley’s left). Finley lost sight of appellant, although he could hear appellant moaning as if he had been shot. Finley and Gonzalez backed away from the front door. As the officers backed away, Gonzalez saw appellant run across the hallway and Gonzalez believed appellant was still armed. Gonzalez fired once at appellant.

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People v. Yang CA5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-yang-ca5-calctapp-2015.