Commonwealth v. Boden
Commonwealth v. Boden
Opinion of the Court
Appellant police officer was found guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter by a jury. He subsequently filed post-verdict motions in arrest of judgment and for a new trial which were denied. A timely appeal was filed. For the reasons discussed below, we affirm the judgment of sentence.
One of the officers kicked the axe handle out of the victim’s reach. Appellant fired a third shot which hit the victim in his chest, killing him. Testimony conflicts as to whether the victim was on the ground or in the process of getting up from the ground when appellant fired the third and fatal shot.
Appellant contends that the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury that as a police officer making an arrest appellant was not under a duty to retreat from the victim. The lower court characterized appellant’s actions before the shooting as an investigatory stop and not as an arrest or an attempt to arrest. The court therefore concluded it did not have to instruct the jury that appellant did not have a duty to retreat.
Although we disagree with the lower court’s finding that no arrest or attempt to arrest occurred, we affirm the judgment.
We conclude that appellant’s action constituted an arrest. The victim’s behavior against the officers amounted
When an arrest occurs is a fact dependent on an evaluation of the surrounding circumstances. Commonwealth v. Crissy, 304 Pa.Super. 38, 450 A.2d 89 (1982). Looking at the surrounding circumstances in the case sub judice, we conclude that appellant and his fellow officers were in the process of arresting the victim. Appellant had his gun drawn on the victim whose actions constituted simple assault. The victim’s freedom was curtailed and the officers’ conduct reflected an intention to take the victim into custody.
The central question in the case was whether appellant reasonably believed that deadly force was necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury. The judge’s instructions were focused on and invited the jury to concentrate on this question. To instruct the jury on the spectrum of law inapplicable to the appellant would be unnecessary, irrelevant and confusing to the jury. A court owes a duty to the jury not to confuse it with irrelevant instructions. Commonwealth v. Kwatkoski, 267 Pa.Super. 401, 406 A.2d 1102 (1979); see Commonwealth v. Carter, 502 Pa. 433, 466 A.2d
The record reveals that the appellant did not pursue the question of retreat at trial. The Commonwealth touched fleetingly on the question in one instance.
Appellant also claims that the jury arrived at its verdict by compromise, and cites a newspaper report containing postverdict interviews with jurors. However, a juror is incompetent to testify as to what transpired in the jury room, and may not impeach the verdict after the jury has been discharged. Commonwealth v. Sero, 478 Pa. 440, 387 A.2d 63 (1978); see Commonwealth v. Williams, 279 Pa.Super. 28, 420 A.2d 727 (1980); Commonwealth v. Spencer, 259 Pa.Super. 415, 393 A.2d 895 (1978). The only exception to this rule applies when there have been extraneous influences on the jury deliberation process, an exception
Accordingly, the judgment of sentence is affirmed.
. "It is well established that an appellate court may affirm the action of a lower court on a different rationale than that advanced by the lower court in support of its Order, Decree or Judgment." Commonwealth ex rel. Wardrop v. Warden, 237 Pa.Super. 502, 504, 352 A.2d 88, 89 (1975); Commonwealth v. Meischke, 273 Pa.Super. 134, 416 A.2d 1126 (1979).
. On cross-examination of appellant the Commonwealth indirectly raised the question of retreat as follows:
Q. Okay. So for the third shot, if his head is here where the blood spot has been marked, it would be at least another six feet back further; correct?
A. Roughly, yes, sir.
Q. And this is a vacant lot here? (Indicating) Vacant lot?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. So if you wanted to, there was nothing behind you here which would have prevented you from retreating even further; is that right?
A. Yes.
N.T. 10/7/81 at 89.
In five volumes of transcript containing 540 pages, the above reference is the only one relating to the duty to retreat. Given the undisputed testimony that the victim’s weapon had been dropped and kicked out of his reach when the fatal shot was fired by appellant, the fact that the appellant did not have a duty to retreat is irrelevant.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting:
The majority has determined that the duty to retreat under the circumstances of this case was not relevant. I do not believe this is the issue presented by appellant. The majority would adopt a view of the facts that under any circumstance, the officer had no right to use deadly force. The failure of the lower court to instruct on the duty of a police officer to retreat or desist from efforts to make a lawful arrest is exacerbated by the court’s determination that the officer’s actions were not pursuant to a lawful arrest. The majority acknowledges the latter was error on the part of the lower court. If the lower court had concluded that the officer was engaged in a lawful arrest, it is obvious that the officer’s duty to retreat or desist becomes a relevant issue under 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 508(a) — Peace officer’s use of force in making arrest. Since the Commonwealth has the burden of disproving justification beyond a reasonable doubt, Commonwealth v. Cropper, 463 Pa. 529, 345 A.2d 645 (1975); Commonwealth v. Zenyuh, 307 Pa.Super. 253, 453 A.2d 338 (1982); Commonwealth v. Rittle, 285 Pa.Super. 522, 428 A.2d 168 (1981) (Commonwealth must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant was not acting in self-defense) and that the defendant did not reasonably believe the use of deadly force was necessary, the court’s initial error precluded a determination in the first instance by the court as to whether the Commonwealth met its burden and perhaps thereafter, by the jury after an appropriate instruction. If a jury could have found that the deceased was actively engaged in life-threatening behavior with a deadly weapon, and despite actions by the police to
Reference
- Full Case Name
- COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. Thomas BODEN, Appellant
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- 9 cases
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- Published