Opinion ID: 1689141
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Assault and Battery Claims

Text: ¶ 7. An assault occurs where a person (1) acts intending to cause a harmful or offensive contact with the person of the other or a third person, or an imminent apprehension of such a contact, and (2) the other is thereby put in such imminent apprehension. Webb v. Jackson, 583 So.2d 946, 950-51 (Miss.1991) (citing Restatement (Second) of Torts § 63 (1965)). A battery goes one step beyond an assault in that a harmful contact actually occurs. A defense to the charge of an assault or battery is that the person was acting in self-defense. In such a situation, he may use reasonable force, not intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily harm, to defend himself against unprivileged harmful or offensive contact or other bodily harm which he reasonably believes that another is about to inflict intentionally upon him. Id. ¶ 8. Whitten does not argue that he was acting in self-defense. Instead, he argues that he was conducting a valid citizen's arrest. The initial issue to be discussed must therefore be whether a valid citizen's arrest was made by Whitten, and whether the arrest was made in accordance with the law. This issue also has a bearing on the merit of the plaintiffs' false imprisonment claims. ¶ 9. In Mississippi, a private citizen may arrest any person without a warrant for a misdemeanor offense which has been committed, or for a breach of the peace attempted or threatened in his presence. Miss.Code Ann. § 99-3-7 (Supp.1999). The arrest must be made in accordance with the law, but there will be no liability for a legal arrest, notwithstanding it may appear that the party arrested was innocent of any offense. Miss.Code Ann. § 99-3-23 (1994). ¶ 10. The plaintiffs were suspected of misdemeanor trespass. They were unarmed. Whitten fired several shots from his .45 caliber pistol, and shot out a tire on the truck that they were driving. He forced them out of the truck and demanded them to get on their knees on the ground. He and several other armed men then took the plaintiffs to a building, having handcuffed and threatened one of them. One of the armed men accompanying Whitten, a Mr. Valley, is now a police officer. Salley testified that Whitten used profanity, was screaming, and that he was shocked by Whitten's behavior. Valley also testified that the plaintiffs did not attempt to run over Whitten with their truck, that they showed no signs of aggression and that the only person being aggressive was Whitten. Whitten admitted in hindsight that he overreacted. ¶ 11. If the force used in the arrest and detention of a suspected misdemeanant is unreasonable and excessive, this may render the detention and arrest invalid. Whether the manner of arrest renders an arrest illegal is a jury question. State ex rel. Smith v. Broom, 58 So.2d 32, 33 (Miss.1952). This Court has held that the use of firearms by a police officer is not justified except to protect himself from reasonably apparent bodily harm or death at the hands of the suspect. Holland v. Martin, 214 Miss. 1, 58 So.2d 62 (1952). Citizens are held to the same standard. The occupants of the truck did not at any time threaten Whitten or show any signs of doing so. None of them were armed. Whitten placed himself in front of the truck; no one tried to run over him. Whitten fired his weapon several times. It is undisputed that he shot out one of the tires while the plaintiffs were still in the truck. Whitten testified that at the time he shot out the tire there was no threat whatsoever being posed to him. A reasonable juror could certainly have found that Whitten's use of force was unreasonable and excessive under the circumstances. An error in marksmanship could have killed or wounded one of the occupants of the truck or one of the bystanders. Whitten was not in fear of life or limb. The force Whitten used in the arrest and detention of the plaintiffs was unreasonable and excessive, rendering the arrest and detention invalid. There is testimony and evidence in the record from which a reasonable jury could have found that the elements of assault and battery were met. Assault requires (1) acts intending to cause a harmful or offensive contact with the person of the other or a third person, or an imminent apprehension of such a contact, and (2) the other is thereby put in such imminent apprehension. Shooting out the tire of the truck which was still occupied by the plaintiffs was certainly a harmful or offensive contact, as was removing the occupants and forcing them to the ground. Whitten also handcuffed Cox, pulled his baseball cap over his eyes and knocking off his sunglasses. Thus, the additional harmful contact requirement to establish battery was met. Viewing this evidence in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs and giving them the benefit of every reasonable inference which may reasonably be drawn from the evidence, there is substantial evidence in the record which supports the jury's findings of assault and battery.