Shipp v. Wayne Joseph Landry

147 So. 3d 721, 2013 La.App. 1 Cir. 1673, 2014 WL 3610790, 2014 La. App. LEXIS 1141
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 2, 2014
DocketNo. 2013 CA 1673
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 147 So. 3d 721 (Shipp v. Wayne Joseph Landry) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shipp v. Wayne Joseph Landry, 147 So. 3d 721, 2013 La.App. 1 Cir. 1673, 2014 WL 3610790, 2014 La. App. LEXIS 1141 (La. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

WHIPPLE, C.J.

LThis matter is before us on appeal by plaintiff, Darren Keith Shipp, individually, and in his capacity as representative of the Estate of Darren Scott Shipp, from a judgment of the trial court granting a motion for summary judgment filed by defendant, Wayne Joseph Landry, and dismissing plaintiffs claims. For the reasons that follow, we reverse and remand.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

On August 22, 2011, Darren Scott Shipp (“Shipp”) was shot and fatally wounded by Wayne Joseph Landry while Shipp was attempting to enter Landry’s home on Blackwater Road in Baker, Louisiana. Shipp and Landry’s daughter, Alicia, had been dating for approximately seven months and, for approximately four of those months, Shipp lived with Alicia and her daughter, A., in Alicia’s apartment.1

On August 22, 2011, Alicia and Shipp had an argument, and when Shipp went to sleep', Alicia went to her parent’s home “to get away” from Shipp. A. was at daycare during this time. Alicia arrived at her parents’ home at approximately 3:30 or 4:00 that afternoon and told Landry that her relationship with Shipp wasn’t working, that Shipp had threatened her, and that she needed Landry’s help “to get her out of there.” A while later, Landry and Alicia went to pick up A. from daycare. Alicia was driving her vehicle and, on the way to the daycare facility, the two stopped at a Cracker Barrel to put gas in her car. While Alicia was putting fuel in the vehicle and Landry was inside the gas station, Shipp pulled up in his truck and parked perpendicular in front of Alicia’s vehicle. As Landry exited the gas station and returned to the car, Shipp and Alicia were arguing, and Shipp was “corralling” her, with his back to Landry. Landry told Alicia to get in Rthe car, and Shipp turned and came toward Landry in what Landry claimed was a threatening manner, with his fist clinched. Shipp began threatening and “cussing” at Landry, calling him a “M- F-” and threatened “I’ll break your f- jaw.” Landry, who holds a Louisiana concealed carry permit, drew his pistol. At that point, Shipp returned to his vehicle, which Alicia had gotten into, and he and Alicia left the scene.2 Landry then returned to Alicia’s vehicle, put the weapon down and attempted to call 911; however, he was unable to operate the cell phone, which his wife had just bought him a couple of days earlier. Landry, who was “a little bit shaken” then attempted to drive off not realizing that the fuel pump was still in the vehicle. After the hose popped off, he went inside the gas station and advised the clerk that he would pay for any damages and left his name and information with the clerk.

When Landry got home, Alicia and Shipp arrived right behind him. Alicia [723]*723asked Landry to “come here,” and Shipp exited his vehicle, began threatening Landry, and ran at Landry. According to Landry’s deposition testimony, Alicia handed Landry the baby, Landry brought the baby inside, and after Landry put A. down, Shipp “came at him again” with his fists clinched up from his side. Landry then pulled his weapon on Shipp. Shipp came to Landry, but stopped, telling Landry, “shoot me m- f-, that gun ain’t gonna do nothing but piss me off.” Landry stepped inside the patio and told Shipp that he was not welcome at his home any more and that he was calling the sheriffs department to let them know what had happened. Shipp and Alicia then left together.

Landry called 911 and a deputy was dispatched to his home. Landry reported the two incidents to the deputy and asked the deputy to advise Shipp not to return to his home. The deputy advised that he was going to try to speak to |4Alicia at her apartment later that day. However, before the deputy had a chance to do so, Shipp and Alicia returned to Landry’s home. At the time, Landry, his wife, and their twenty-five year old niece were sitting in an enclosed patio on the side of Landry’s home that leads to the inner door of the home, playing with A.

As soon as Shipp and Alicia arrived, Alicia exited the truck and, along with the others who had been sitting in the enclosed patio, immediately went inside the home, while Shipp remained in his truck. Landry asked the ladies to go lock themselves in the computer room, which was formerly a bed room, while he went into his bedroom to call 911. Landry advised the 911 operator that Shipp was on his property, and asked them to dispatch a deputy to his residence. As Landry hung up the phone, he realized that Shipp had entered into the patio through the patio door and was in the enclosed patio, banging on the interior door of the home and yelling for Alicia. According to Landry, he stood in the hallway around the corner, out of Shipp’s line of sight, and was waiting for the police to arrive. Landry testified he heard Shipp’s voice get louder and the door open. Landry stepped out from the hallway and saw Shipp standing in the doorway. Shipp began “cussing” him and rocking back and forth with his fists up in a threatening manner, while acting very agitated. Landry, who drew his pistol when he stepped into plain view of Shipp, testified he told Shipp several times, “Do not come in my home. Do not come in my home. Whatever you do, do not come in my home.” Landry claimed he was seven or eight feet from Shipp at the time, and that he told Shipp to leave and that the police were on the way. However, Shipp responded that he “could do whatever he wanted” and, according to Landry, then began to enter the Landry home. As Shipp stepped on the threshold to enter the home, Landry shot him once with his pistol. Landry waited inside the home, with | Bhis pistol aimed at Shipp, until the police arrived.3 Shipp died as a result of the gunshot wound.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On June 12, 2012, Shipp’s father, Darren Keith Shipp, individually, and in his capacity as representative of the Estate of Darren Scott Shipp (“plaintiff’), filed a petition for damages, including wrongful death and survivor’s damages, physical, emotional, and mental damages, and funeral expenses, against Landry and his home[724]*724owners’ insurer, State Farm Fire and Casualty Company (“State Farm”). State Farm answered the petition, setting forth several affirmative defenses. Thereafter, Landry filed a motion for summary judgment.

In his motion for summary judgment, Landry contended that he is immune from any civil liability arising from this incident pursuant to LSA-R.S. 9:2800.19, thereby entitling him to summary judgment and a dismissal of plaintiffs claims against him. In support of his motion for summary judgment, Landry attached the petition for damages (Exhibit A); his affidavit and a photograph of compact discs (Exhibit B with Attachments 1 & 2); the affidavit of Alicia Landry (Exhibit C), and photographs of the scene of the shooting (labeled as Attachments 3 & 4).

Plaintiff opposed the motion for summary judgment, contending that genuine issues of material fact remain as to whether Landry acted reasonably in using deadly force. In support, plaintiff attached excerpts of the deposition testimony of Wayne Landry (Exhibit A); excerpts of the deposition testimony of Alicia Landry (Exhibit B); the affidavit of Dr. Alfredo Suarez (Exhibit C) and photographs of the crime scene.

The trial court heard the matter on May 20, 2012.4 After reviewing the evidence submitted in support of and in opposition to the motion for summary | fjudgment and hearing argument by the parties, the trial court granted Landry’s motion for summary judgment.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
147 So. 3d 721, 2013 La.App. 1 Cir. 1673, 2014 WL 3610790, 2014 La. App. LEXIS 1141, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shipp-v-wayne-joseph-landry-lactapp-2014.