Tag Archives: self defense

The TRUTH About the Sonya Massey Shooting – from an ACTUAL lawyer who litigates police shootings

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Here’s my complete breakdown of the important parts of the Sonya Massey shooting, utilizing indisputable screenshots from the bodycam footage of both deputies. There’s been a lot of confusion, as well as misinformation about both the facts and the law surrounding this incident. We can have differing opinions as to conclusions, but nobody is entitled to make up facts. These are all provable facts. Comparing these facts to Illinois self defense law, former-deputy Grayson faces an uphill challenge in his murder case.

Self defense in Illinois can be asserted as an affirmative defense by someone who uses force against a police officer under certain circumstances:

“A person is not authorized to use force to resist an arrest which he knows is being made either by a peace officer or by a private person summoned and directed by a peace officer to make the arrest, even if he believes that the arrest is unlawful and the arrest in fact is unlawful.” Id. § 7-7.

The Illinois standard for police use of force:

The peace officer’s use of force when making an arrest is governed by section 7-5, which provides, among other things:

“[A peace officer] is justified in the use of any force which he reasonably believes, based on the totality of the circumstances, to be necessary to effect the arrest and of any force which he reasonably believes, based on the totality of the circumstances, to be necessary to defend himself or another from bodily harm while making the arrest.” Id. § 7-5(a)….

“The decision by a peace officer to use force shall be evaluated from the perspective of a reasonable officer in the same situation, based on the totality of the circumstances known to or perceived by the officer at the time of the decision, rather than with the benefit of hindsight, and that the totality of the circumstances shall account for occasions when officers may be forced to make quick judgments about using force.” Id. § 7-5(f)….

If the officer’s use of force is not justified under section 7-5, then it is considered excessive, and section 7-7 no longer applies to the arrest. People v. Bailey, 108 Ill.App.3d 392, 398 (1982).

After the officer uses excessive, unlawful force-but not before (see People v. Haynes, 408 Ill.App.3d 684, 691 (2011))-the arrestee’s own use of force is instead governed by section 7-1(a), the general self-defense statute, which states, “[a] person is justified in the use of force against another when and to the extent that he reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or another against such other’s imminent use of unlawful force.” 720 ILCS 5/7-1(a) (West 2022). Section 7-1 is limited in turn by section 7-4, which provides that a person’s use of force is generally not justified if he is the aggressor, except in certain specific circumstances. Id. § 7-4.

Therefore, the use of excessive force by a police officer in Illinois invokes the arrestee’s right of self defense, just like any other situation where someone is using unlawful force. A jury assessing this would consider the following factors:

“In order to instruct the jury on self- defense, the defendant must establish some evidence of each of the following elements: (1) force is threatened against a person; (2) the person threatened is not the aggressor; (3) the danger of harm was imminent; (4) the threatened force was unlawful; (5) he actually and subjectively believed a danger existed which required the use of the force applied; and (6) his beliefs were objectively reasonable.” People v. Jeffries, 164 Ill.2d 104, 127-28 (1995).

Here’s the general Illinois self defense law that applies when police officers use excessive force and lose the protections of Illinois law authorizing police use of force:

“A person is justified in the use of force against another when and to the extent that he reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or another against such other’s imminent use of unlawful force. However, he is justified in the use of force which is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm only if he reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or another, or the commission of a forcible felony.” 720 ILCS 5/7-1 (West 2002).

But, self defense is not available as an affirmative defense to an assailant who:

(c) [I]nitially provokes the use of force against himself, unless:

(1) Such force is so great that he reasonably believes that he is in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm, and that he has exhausted every reasonable means to escape such danger other than the use of force which is likely to cause death or great bodily harm to the assailant; or

(2) In good faith, he withdraws from physical contact with the assailant and indicates clearly to the assailant that he desires to withdraw and terminate the use of force, but the assailant continues or resumes the use of force.” 720 ILCS 5/7-4(c) (West 2002).

Here, former-deputy Grayson is forced to assert the Illinois general self defense statute, which prohibits him from doing so, if he was the initial aggressor. Or, I suppose he could contest the application of the police use of force statute by arguing that he did not use excessive force. Either way, he faces some difficult legal hurdles.

Man Shot by Police Today While Onlookers Film in Beckley, WV

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A friend of the eyewitness to a crazy police shooting that happened today in Beckley, West Virginia, sent me the footage captured via smartphone, while bystanders stuck in traffic watched it go down right in front of them. I already posted it on my twitter page, where it’s spreading quickly and obviously disturbing most people. I didn’t want to get in trouble again on Youtube, so I’m going to edit the version I post there, and then re-direct anyone who wants to see the entire thing to this post. So, here’s the footage:

Apparently there was a pursuit involving an unidentified subject, who is very clearly armed with what appears to be a handgun, and he is pointing it at his own head, as he walks quickly away from a small army of police officers pursuing him. He walks onto the public road, with bystanders in stopped traffic watching. It appears that the officers are ordering him repeatedly to drop the gun. It’s also obvious that he is in a bad place mentally, and is threatening suicide, or perhaps seeking “suicide by cop.”

Eventually, one or more officers start shooting the man. He drops the ground. Also dropping to the ground is the man’s handgun, which thereafter can be seen out of his reach, below where his feet are lying. What’s really disturbing here, is that the police officers’ guns continue to fire, and continue to impact the limp and incapacitated man lying motionless on the ground. The video then cuts off after a barrage of such shots. It’s unknown to me whether there were additional shots after the camera cuts out. I count at least 6 officers in the immediate vicinity, with more following behind them, as the first shots ring out. I tried to count the number of times they fired, but it seems impossible. It looks like the first two shots incapacitated the man and then the large majority of them came afterwards. In the video, you can see that the officers who are firing can see the handgun on the ground, because some of the rounds are hitting right where the gun is located on the ground. Perhaps they were still shooting at the gun? They keep shooting the man, as his body rolls over prone, with rounds hitting the asphalt all around him, as well as impacting his body, and apparently his legs.

I don’t think there’s much of an issue about the first shots fired. The case law is pretty clear that cops can shoot a suspect armed with a handgun, so long as he’s objectively viewed as an imminent threat. An officer may use deadly force when the officer has “probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a threat of serious physical harm, either to the officer or to others.” Tennessee v. Garner (1985). I looked closely, and can’t quite tell which hand is holding the handgun at the time the first shots are fired. It looks to be the right hand. And it’s also a close call whether the right hand, arguably holding the gun, rises towards the officer before, or after, the first shot. But it does start to come up.

However, the Fourth Amendment still prohibits law enforcement officers from using excessive or unreasonable force in the course of making an arrest or otherwise seizing a person, which includes shooting him. See Graham v. Connor (1989). The courts determine whether the amount of force used by police is reasonable based on an objective standard, looking at the the circumstances confronting the officer “immediately prior to and at the very moment” he fired his weapon. Greenidge v. Ruffin (4th Circ. 1991). Moreover, this is assessed specifically as of the “moment that force is employed,” Waterman v. Batton (4th Cir. 2005).

This took place in the jurisdiction of the Fourth Circuit, which has previously held that the number of shots fired by police, itself, is not dispositive, if other facts indicate reasonableness. See Elliott v. Leavitt (4th Circ. 1996). The Fourth Circuit has held a couple of times that “force justified at the beginning of an encounter is not justified even seconds later if the justification for the initial force has been eliminated.” See Brockington v.  Boykins (4th Circ. 2011). An officer will not be entitled to qualified immunity for engaging in a use of force that is “unnecessary, gratuitous, and disproportionate force to seize a secured, unarmed citizen….” Estate v. City of Martinsburg (4th Circ. 2020). Although the subject appears to have been armed at the time of the first shots, the video very clearly shows he was not armed for the majority of the shots. Thus, the courts could treat subsequent shots as against an unarmed subject. Of course there could be additional facts of which we’re unaware, such as information indicating to the shooters that another firearm was present.

I wonder if any of these officers were interviewed, or provided statements, immediately following the incident, while it was still fresh in their minds? Or will they be given the opportunity to sleep on it; to review video footage; to speak with union reps; to seek legal counsel; and to submit a written statement at a later time? Whatever the answer is to that – we peasants should be entitled to the same protections….

Rittenhouse Trial Closing Arguments Post-Trial Analysis

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Closing arguments today in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. Post-trial legal analysis, Live at 7pm ET. Also, the firearms possession count – count 6 – was dismissed by the judge prior to closing arguments beginning. The evidence is closed and attorneys for each side gets to make their arguments to the jury. Here’s my take…. Join me Live at 7:00 p.m. ET. Freedom is Scary – Ep. 83.

Kyle Rittenhouse Trial Day 8 Analysis

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Some armchair legal quarterbacking following day 8 of the Kyle Rittenhouse self defense trial in Wisconsin. This is an important firearms related self defense case which illustrates the importance of attorney skill and tactics in jury trial advocacy. There’s been some surprising events so far in the trial, including the testimony of the defendant himself today. In fact, something shocking happened during Kyle’s cross examination which may itself be a constitutional violation. Join me to watch some of it and discuss…… Freedom is Scary Episode 80: