Case ID: ad2d_205/html/0477-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Jomo Kellman, Appellant.
    [614 NYS2d 12]
   Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Ira Beal, J.), rendered October 27, 1992, convicting defendant, upon his plea of guilty, of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, and sentencing him as a second felony offender, to a term of 2 to 4 years, unanimously affirmed.

The arresting officer’s testimony that defendant appeared to be tampering with a public telephone and made a quick hand movement to his open shoulder bag in response to another officer’s announcement of his identity and inquiry as to defendant’s activity was not incredible as a matter of law, and, in the context of a rapidly unfolding street encounter, justified the officer’s belief that he and his partner were in imminent danger (see, People v Benjamin, 51 NY2d 267, 270-271). Accordingly, the officer properly grabbed defendant’s hand and seized defendant’s gun. Concur—Rosenberger, J. P., Wallach, Kupferman, Ross and Nardelli, JJ.