State v. Duncan

593 P.2d 427, 3 Kan. App. 2d 271, 1979 Kan. App. LEXIS 193
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedApril 20, 1979
Docket50,394
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 593 P.2d 427 (State v. Duncan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Duncan, 593 P.2d 427, 3 Kan. App. 2d 271, 1979 Kan. App. LEXIS 193 (kanctapp 1979).

Opinion

Rees, J.:

Defendant was convicted on three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer (K.S.A. 21-3411) and one count of burglary (K.S.A. 21-3715). Upon imposition of K.S.A. 21-4504, the Habitual Criminal Act, the sentences imposed were three concurrent terms of not less than ten nor more than forty years for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and a consecutive term of not less than four nor more than twenty years for burglary. Defendant appeals.

We will briefly summarize relevant facts, first in summary and later as incident to our discussion of issues. Before daylight on December 23, 1977, defendant triggered a silent alarm in a pawn shop on the first floor of a business building in Independence, Kansas. Four officers responded; three were in uniform and one was in street clothes. During the events leading up to his arrest and while inside the building, defendant fired three rounds from a .357 magnum that were heard by the four officers. One shot was fired at officer Sutton from a distance of six to eight feet while he and the defendant faced one another through a west exterior window. The physical evidence established that the bullet lodged *272 in the window casing. After only such time as was required to release the safety, Sutton fired his shotgun twice through the window and into the building. Apparently defendant was not hit. The physical evidence also established that the second and third shots fired by defendant were at an inside back door hasp and padlock. One of the latter bullets passed through the door and was found in an adjacent parking lot to the south of the building after ricocheting off a brick wall at the south side of the parking lot. Shortly after firing at the back door, defendant broke out another west exterior window and Sutton saw him waving or pointing his gun toward officer Bynum. Bynum’s back was to the defendant. Seeing defendant at this latter window and that his brother officer was in apparent peril, Sutton fired another round from his shotgun. Defendant received pellet wounds. After hearing the sounds of the breaking of the window and Sutton’s last shot, Bynum immediately turned around, observed the wounded defendant at the window and with Sutton apprehended defendant.

The other two officers at the scene were officers Kolb and Lowry. Bynum was the officer not in uniform.

Relying on Ladner v. United States, 358 U.S. 169, 3 L.Ed.2d 199, 79 S.Ct. 209 (1958), defendant argues that one act of aggravated assault, defendant’s shot at Sutton, cannot support his conviction on three counts of aggravated assault. In Ladner, the defendant fired one shotgun blast into the front seat of an automobile occupied by two federal agents. The defendant was charged and convicted on two counts of assault on federal officers. The United States Supreme Court held that “the single discharge of a shotgun alleged by the petitioner in this case would constitute only a single violation.” 358 U.S. at 178.

Ladner is distinguishable insofar as it is directed at the State’s allegations and interpretation of the evidence in the present case. The State contends there were three separate and distinct acts constituting aggravated assault — defendant fired one round at Sutton, fired two rounds at the back door, one of which it is said could have been at Lowry, and waved or pointed his gun in the direction of Bynum. Assaults with a firearm upon each of several law enforcement officers occurring during one episode, but at different times, constitute separate offenses of aggravated assault upon each of the law enforcement officers. State v. Bradley, 215 Kan. 642, Syl. ¶ 6, 527 P.2d 988 (1974).

*273 Defendant next challenges the sufficiency of the evidence with regard to the counts of aggravated assault against officers Lowry and Bynum. Although somewhat otherwise posed in his brief and argument, this contention is multifaceted: (1) when defendant fired the three shots from within the building, he did not know of the presence at the scene of anyone other than Sutton, law enforcement officer(s) or civilian(s); (2) his shots at the back door were not attempts to do bodily harm to Lowry or Bynum or anyone else; (3) his single shot at or toward Sutton was an act that could be found to be one of aggravated assault but, if so, it was a single act that does not support convictions of aggravated assault on Lowry or Bynum; and (4) Bynum, with his back to defendant was unaware defendant waved or pointed his gun toward him and Bynum was not placed in immediate apprehension of bodily harm by reason of that particular conduct of the defendant.

The trial court instructions are not in the record on appeal. We must presume that as to Lowry and Bynum the jury was properly instructed concerning the necessary elements of proof for conviction of violation of K.S.A. 21-3411. These are found in PIK Crim. 56.15 and as here applicable they are as follows:

1. Defendant intentionally attempted to do bodily harm to [Lowry/Bynum];

2. Defendant had apparent ability to cause such bodily harm;

3. Defendant’s conduct resulted in [Lowry/Bynum] being in immediate apprehension of bodily harm;

4. [Lowry/Bynum] was a uniformed or properly identified city law enforcement officer;

5. [Lowry/Bynum] was engaged in the performance of his duty;

6. Defendant used a deadly weapon.

Excluding the factor that the victim was a uniformed or properly identified law enforcement officer engaged in the performance of his duty, this itemization of the elements of the offense of aggravated assault has recently been restated in State v. Nelson, 224 Kan. 95, 97, 577 P.2d 1178 (1978).

Review of the evidence compels the conclusion that the first and third elements were not established as to Lowry and the third element was not established as to Bynum.

The physical evidence and the officers’ necessary resulting *274 conclusion was that defendant’s last two shots were at the locked back door of the pawn shop. Lowry was standing outside the building, at a distance to the south and west of the back door, when these shots were fired. Although investigation conducted after defendant’s arrest showed that the shot that carried through the door passed near where Lowry had been standing, Lowry did not testify that at the time of the incident he thought either of the two shots was fired at him. He did not know that the bullet had passed near him until after the later investigation.

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Bluebook (online)
593 P.2d 427, 3 Kan. App. 2d 271, 1979 Kan. App. LEXIS 193, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-duncan-kanctapp-1979.