Purkey v. State

1972 OK CR 280, 502 P.2d 508
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 18, 1972
DocketNo. A-17384
StatusPublished

This text of 1972 OK CR 280 (Purkey v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Purkey v. State, 1972 OK CR 280, 502 P.2d 508 (Okla. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

OPINION

BUSSEY, Presiding Judge:

Appellant, Buddy Purkey, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged, tried, and convicted in the District Court of Tulsa County, Oklahoma for the offense of Shooting with Intent to Kill; his punishment was fixed at eight (8) years imprisonment, and from said judgment and sentence, a timely appeal has been perfected to this Court.

At the trial, Arthur Jordan, age sixty-six, testified that he owned and operated O. T.’s Tavern in Collinsville, Oklahoma. At approximately 11:00 on the evening of May 30, 1971, the defendant and three companions came into the tavern and ordered three bottles of beer and a Coke. The defendant played several games of pool and one of the persons with whom he was playing paid for two beers for the defendant. At approximately five minutes till twelve, Jordan started making preparations to close the club, and the two girls that were with the defendant and his male companion went outside. The defendant stated, “I’ve got four beers coming, haven’t I ?” Jordan replied that he had only been paid for two beers. He started to open up his beer box to get the defendant’s beer when the defendant grabbed him around the neck. Defendant threw him up against the counter and the beer box. Jordan stated, “I’ll give you two beers to keep from having any trouble with you.” Jordan reached into the beer box to get the beer, and the defendant continued to hit him. He testified that the defendant’s companion asked Purkey to leave Jordan alone, but the defendant did not pay any attention to him. Mitchell Enlow, who was also in the tavern, also tried to get the defendant to leave Jordan alone. Defendant turned Jordan loose and started pointing his finger at En-low. Jordan ran behind the bar and got a gun. He pointed the gun at the defendant and told him to get the beer and to get out of there and to never come back. The defendant started walking to the door, and Jordan leaned down to put up the gun. The defendant came back through the door with a gun in his hand and said, “Drop your gun.” and Jordan replied, “I’ve already put it up.” He further testified that the defendant then fired a shot which struck him in the back of the neck just below his ear.

Mitchell Enlow testified that he was in the bar on the evening in question. He testified that Jordan and the defendant got into an argument concerning how many beers defendant had coming. Defendant grabbed Jordan around the neck and slung him over toward the beer box and told him to get his beers out of there. He further testified that the defendant slung and threw him around that area for several minutes. Enlow attempted to intercede and the defendant turned around and stated, “You stay out of it or I’ll break you into little pieces.” Defendant started walking [510]*510toward him (Enlow) and Jordan went behind the bar and got his gun. Jordan said, “Now you can leave. You’ve got your beer; now I want you to leave right now and don’t come back.” Defendant and his friend agreed to leave and started walking toward the door. Defendant suddenly turned and came back in, pushed his buddy aside and stuck a gun in Jordan’s face. Defendant said, “Drop that gun or I’ll shoot you.” . He fired the gun, and defendant then swung the gun around the room, and his friend said, “Let’s go.” He testified that the defendant’s friend was standing about three or four feet behind him and did not pull his arm at the time the shot was fired. They both then went out the door. Jordan ran behind the bar and observed that he was bleeding in the neck. After putting a towel around his neck, he went outside to attempt to get the tag number of defendant’s car. He observed a brown or copper-looking Buick, pulling a stock car leaving the parking lot.

Ron Coppedge testified that he drove past the O. T.’s Tavern on the night in question and observed a Buick pulling a stock car. He subsequently gave a description of the vehicle to the police.

Larry Holly, the under-sheriff of Nowa-ta County, testified that he received a radio transmission from Tulsa County concerning a particular vehicle, and that he assisted other officers set up a road block on Highway 169, just south of the Kansas border. He observed a car pulling a trailer, which matched the description, turning off Highway 169. He took pursuit and stopped the vehicle. Defendant got out of the car and asked “what in the hell I was stopping him for.” He informed the defendant that he was under arrest. Defendant was belligerent and started following him around, cussing and hollering. Defendant stated that if the officer searched his car, defendant was “going to knock his teeth out.” After another officer arrived, Holly opened the car door of the defendant’s vehicle and observed a purse lying on the floorboard with a barrel of a gun sticking from it.

Deputies Jordan and Baker testified concerning the physical evidence, consisting of a gun and bullets.

For the defense, Denise Cummins testified that on the evening in question she, Cecilia Ann Hare, Leon Stamper, and the defendant stopped at the O. T.’s Tavern, after attending the car races. Defendant and Stamper played pool with other persons in the tavern and won several beers. As they were getting ready to leave, Stamper went over and asked Jordan if they could have their beers. Jordan said, “You’ve only got two beers coming,” wherein Stamper said something about more beers. Defendant went over to the counter and joined in the argument. Jordan started to get behind the bar, and the defendant pushed him up against the ice cooler, and said that he wasn’t going to call the law, and that they just wanted their four beers. At that time, Denise Cummins and Cecilia Hare went outside. She testified that she went out and came back into the bar several times. She testified that Jordan reached behind the bar, pulled out a gun, and cocked it. Jordan stated to the defendant that he was “so large that he couldn’t miss, and that he was going to blow his guts out.” Stamper stated that they were leaving, and the defendant turned around and walked toward her. When he was about two steps away, she handed him a gun. Defendant turned around and told Jordan to “drop his gun and walk toward him.” He testified that she again left and did not see the shot fired.

Cecilia Ann Hare testified that she was at the tavern with defendant and the two others. She testified that defendant and the proprietor got into an argument concerning beer. She went outside and returned back into the club very shortly, where she observed Jordan holding a cocked gun, and telling the defendant that he was going to shoot him. She went back outside and did not see the shot fired.

Leon Stamper testified that he was in the tavern with defendant and the two girls on the evening in question. He testi[511]*511fied that they played several games of pool and won four beers. When they got ready to go, he and Jordan got into an argument concerning the number of beers they had coming. Purkey came up to the bar and entered into the argument, and subsequently had a “little scuffle” with Jordan. Jordan pulled a gun, cocked it, and told the defendant, “I can’t miss you from here, you big son-of-a-bitch.” He told Jordan to put the gun down, and that there was no sense in anyone getting shot over a can of beer. Defendant turned, and when they were about half-way out he turned again, and this time had a gun in his hand. Defendant told Jordan to drop the gun and he (Stamper) grabbed the defendant’s arm, and the gun discharged.

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Related

Epperson v. State
1965 OK CR 124 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1965)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1972 OK CR 280, 502 P.2d 508, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/purkey-v-state-oklacrimapp-1972.