State v. Percy

822 So. 2d 823, 2002 WL 1378803
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 26, 2002
Docket02-KA-255
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 822 So. 2d 823 (State v. Percy) 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
State v. Percy, 822 So. 2d 823, 2002 WL 1378803 (La. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

822 So.2d 823 (2002)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Christopher K. PERCY.

No. 02-KA-255.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

June 26, 2002.

*824 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Thomas J. Butler, Terry M. Boudreaux, Donald A. Rowan, Assistant District Attorneys, Gretna, LA, for Appellee.

Bruce G. Whittaker, New Orleans, LA, for Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges THOMAS F. DALEY, MARION F. EDWARDS and SUSAN M. CHEHARDY.

MARION F. EDWARDS, Judge.

The defendant, Christopher Percy, appeals his conviction of attempted first degree murder in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:27 and LSA-R.S. 14:30. In addition to the attempted murder charge, Percy was also charged in the same bill of information with theft of goods valued at between $100.00 and $500.00, in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:67.10. Percy was arraigned and entered a plea of not guilty. The defense filed motions to suppress Percy's statement, identification, and evidence, all of which motions were denied by the trial court.

Following a jury trial, Percy was found guilty of attempted first degree murder. He was not tried on the two theft charges, which were later dismissed. Percy was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. The State filed a multiple bill of information, alleging that Percy was a second felony offender, having pled guilty to theft on February 11, 1998 in Division "A" of the Criminal District Court of Orleans Parish. After the multiple offender hearing on May 26, 2000, Percy was adjudicated to be a second felony offender. The trial court vacated the 15-year sentence imposed for the attempted first degree murder conviction and sentenced Percy on the multiple bill to 25 years of imprisonment at hard labor. The trial court granted Percy's motion for appeal.

Detective Donald Clogher, a detective with the Homicide Section of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office (JPSO), testified at trial. Clogher stated that, at the time of the incident, he was a deputy with the JPSO and was assigned to the East Bank Street Crimes Unit. He testified that on August 29, 1998, he and officer Eddie Klein were working an off-duty paid detail at the Oakwood Mall for Dillard's Department Store. Clogher was in full uniform, including his sidearm, and was conducting anti-theft loss prevention for Dillard's.

At around 3:00 p.m., Clogher was alerted via the store's intercom that a suspected shoplifting was in progress. He observed one of the female associates of Dillard's waving frantically and pointing to an exit door. According to Clogher, as he was running toward the exit door, the associate was yelling, "They got us again, they hit us." Clogher went through the exit door and observed two subjects running toward a white station wagon. One of the individuals, later identified as Percy, was carrying a large Dillard's bag full of clothes and entered the vehicle on the driver's side. The other individual, who was never identified, entered the vehicle in the back seat on the passenger side.

Clogher stated that he pursued the two individuals and yelled, "Stop. Police. Get *825 out of the car." Clogher testified that the driver looked back at him and did not heed his commands. Percy and his accomplice were already in the car and started it as Clogher approached. Clogher continued to command the individuals to get out of the car and, according to the officer, Percy gave him a "blind stare" and proceeded to back out of the parking space. Clogher then observed that the driver's side window was down, and he reached into the vehicle with his right arm and to turn off the ignition. Clogher testified that his arm somehow became stuck or jammed in the steering wheel of the vehicle.

Clogher stated that the vehicle began to move forward at a rapid pace and that he became frantic and started yelling that he was stuck. Officer Klein was in pursuit behind Clogher and unsuccessfully tried to free him by grabbing Clogher's belt. Percy started to accelerate very rapidly, and Clogher had to run along side of the vehicle, still ordering him to stop. The deputy stated that the car continued to accelerate, and that he knew he could not run any faster beside the vehicle. Clogher, who testified that he was left-handed, drew his weapon and ordered Percy to stop the vehicle or he would shoot. According to Clogher, Percy continued to go faster and started to swerve. At about the time the car approached the speed that Clogher could no longer run along side of the vehicle, his arm became free. Clogher stated that he then grabbed onto something inside the car and held on as he was dragged along in the parking lot. At that point, Percy unsuccessfully tried to obtain the gun. Clogher testified that he started to pull the trigger, but after firing several rounds, the gun became inoperable.

According to Clogher, Percy made two sharp right turns, at about forty or fifty miles per hour, without braking, in the parking lot. Clogher yelled at Percy to stop, saying "..you're going to kill me, stop the car ..." Clogher stated that he then concentrated on holding on, and didn't know if he would fall under the tires, because Percy continued to swerve. The officer began to loose his grip and eventually let go of the vehicle, falling on the right side of his body. Clogher fell on his police radio and slid along the pavement of the parking lot. Clogher stated that he had abrasions to his elbow, shoulder, buttocks, knee, and ankle. His uniform was ripped, his shoes were scuffed and the heel of one shoe was almost disintegrated. His pants were torn. Percy left the parking lot and proceeded to escape.

Deputy Edward Klein of the JPSO testified that, on August 29, 1998, he was working a paid detail with Officer Clogher at the Dillard's Department Store. Klein observed Clogher running to an exit door in response to a suspected shoplift. Klein testified that Grace Lee, an employee of Dillard's, was standing at the exit pointing and shouting. As Klein exited the store he observed a black male running with a Dillard's bag and some clothes to a white Taurus station wagon. He also saw Clogher running after the suspect, while yelling, "Stop, police, stop."

Klein testified that the vehicle began to back up, and that Clogher reached into the car through the driver's side window. According to Klein, as Clogher reached into the vehicle, he heard the car engage into gear and it started moving forward quickly. Klein stated that, at that point, Clogher's arm became stuck in the car, that Clogher was screaming in a frightful voice, "I'm stuck, I'm stuck, I'm stuck." Klein tried to grab Clogher and pull him out of the vehicle.

According to Klein, the vehicle accelerated forward and made a hard right turn. Klein testified that he heard gunshots and estimated that the vehicle was traveling *826 40-50 miles per hour. The car began swerving and made another right turn at about 35-40 miles per hour. Klein also testified that, after the second right turn, Clogher was thrown from the vehicle. On cross-examination, Klein stated that he did not observe anyone in the vehicle brandish a weapon.

Pamela Brown, who was employed at Maison Blanche in Oakwood Mall at the time of the incident, testified that, on August 29, 1998, she was sitting in her vehicle drinking a Coke and eating her lunch. Brown stated that she heard several loud popping sounds. She turned and observed a vehicle traveling fast toward the back of the parking lot. Brown testified that she saw someone running along side the vehicle trying to hang on.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
822 So. 2d 823, 2002 WL 1378803, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-percy-lactapp-2002.