Opinion ID: 1512513
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: barry w.

Text: In the matter of Barry W. the Superior Court reversed the conviction for resisting arrest on the basis that the arrest was unlawful as it occurred in the absence of probable cause. The trial court had adjudicated Barry W. delinquent upon finding him guilty of aggravated assault, simple assault and resisting arrest based upon the following facts. At approximately 10:00 p.m. on the evening of August 6, 1990, Officer Ashby, while on routine patrol, received a radio report of a male selling narcotics at 61st Street and Lansdowne. Officer Ashby in a marked police car, in uniform, drove to the location within minutes of receiving the call. The officer observed two black males standing under a ledge. It was a dark night and it was raining hard. As Officer Ashby exited the vehicle, the two men began to run. The officer yelled stop police and gave chase. Officer Ashby testified that Barry W. threw an object to the other male that the Officer believed to be drugs. The officer was unable to describe the object, none of the other officers observed anything being thrown, and although both males were immediately apprehended, no drugs or other contraband were discovered. Just as Officer Ashby began to chase the two males, another police car arrived to assist. Officer Boran from the other vehicle joined Officer Ashby in chasing and subsequently subduing Barry W. In the struggle with Barry W., Officer Boran's hand was cut on the mirror of a parked car. As a result of this incident Barry W. was found guilty of simple assault, aggravated assault and resisting arrest and adjudicated delinquent. The opinion of the trial court focuses upon the elements of assault and fails to specifically address the legality of the underlying arrest; however, the trial court opinion clearly assumes the legality of the underlying arrest. The appeal had originally been reviewed by a panel of the Superior Court which reversed the trial court decision as to the resisting arrest charge. Reargument en banc was granted and the original panel decision was reaffirmed with two judges dissenting only as to the resisting arrest issue. After reviewing the totality of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Barry W., the Superior Court concluded that Officer Ashby not only lacked probable cause to arrest, but also lacked sufficient reasonable suspicion necessary to justify a Terry stop. [5] The basis for Officer Ashby to approach Barry W. was a radio bulletin which provided investigate male selling drugs at ____ [location]. The bulletin was an anonymous tip with no indicia of reliability. There was no description of the male and no information regarding the source of the tip. When Officer Ashby arrived at the location two individuals who happened to be present fled before any corroborating information as to the initial anonymous tip could be ascertained. Officer Ashby testified that as he fled, Barry W. threw an object to his companion. The officer could not describe the object at all, yet he asserts a belief that the object was a controlled substance. Looking at the facts in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, the Superior Court ascertained that this anonymous tip, which lacked descriptive information and any indication of reliability, taken together with the mysterious thrown object, and flight into the pouring rain, still did not satisfy the requirement of specific articulable facts necessary to establish a reasonable belief that criminal activity was afoot. [6] Accordingly, the Superior Court vacated the resisting arrest conviction as the underlying arrest was unlawful and affirmed the conviction for aggravated assault.