Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Jomo Kellman, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1994-06-30
Citations: 205 A.D.2d 477
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Jomo Kellman, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 205
Pages: 477–477

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Jomo Kellman, Appellant.
[614 NYS2d 12]

Opinion:
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.