Opinion ID: 2764051
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Second-Degree Property Damage

Text: Deputy Hunt also challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to submit the property damage count to the jury. Section 569.120 provides, in relevant part, that a person commits property damage if he “knowingly damages property of another.” The required mental state under the statute is “knowingly.” Although there is little doubt that Deputy Hunt acted knowingly when he kicked in the porch door to enter the residence, law 9 enforcement officers are afforded a privilege to damage another’s property under certain circumstances: To make an arrest in criminal actions, the officer may break open any outer or inner door or window of a dwelling house or other building, or any other enclosure, if, after notice of his office and purpose, he be refused admittance. Section 544.200. The privilege applies to criminal arrests when the officer is first refused admittance after announcing his office and purpose, commonly referred to as a “knock and announce.” Here the record reflects that the section 544.200 privilege existed because there was sufficient evidence for the jury to believe that both conditions for its availability were met. First, in order for the privilege to apply, Deputy Hunt must have been making an arrest in a criminal action. This condition was satisfied. Deputy Hunt was a member of a multidistrict enforcement group and had power of arrest. He kicked in the door with the purpose of arresting the suspect on two felony arrest warrants, and that arrest occurred. The State argues that the privilege was unavailable because Deputy Hunt intended to assault the suspect, not arrest him. However, the fact that a physical altercation took place that was later alleged to be an assault does not negate Deputy Hunt’s purpose to effect an arrest. Property damage does not require any predicate crime. In other words, unlike burglary, property damage was not dependent on an intent to commit assault. Second, section 544.200 requires a knock and announce. Officers testified that, as they approached the trailer, they banged on the door and announced 10 “sheriff’s department, answer the door.” The informant testified that she saw police lights and heard the officers announce their presence, but she did not intend to open the door. The State responds that this did not satisfy the statute because Deputy Hunt did not himself perform the knock and announce. However, there is no requirement in section 544.200 that the officer who knocks and announces be the same one who enters. 10 The State counters that, even if Deputy Hunt could rely on the other officers’ knock and announce, their “announce” was defective because they declared their presence but not their purpose to arrest the suspect. In United States v. Boyer, 574 F.2d 951, 952 (8th Cir. 1978), police and FBI agents approached a third-party residence based on a confidential informant’s tip that a robbery suspect was hiding inside. An agent knocked on the door, identified himself, and demanded entry. Id. After 10 to 15 seconds with no response, the agent kicked in the door and entered. Id. The Eighth Circuit, applying Missouri law, found that the agent complied with section 544.200 and noted that the particular circumstances of a case “could relax the need to state a purpose on the part of officers who identified themselves, knocked and were denied entry.” Id. at 10 Section 544.200 refers to “the officer” in the singular. However, Missouri statutory construction dictates that when a statute refers to a party or person in the singular, the plural is included. Section 1.030.2. 11 953-54 (citing State v. Novak, 428 S.W.2d 585, 592-93 (Mo. 1968) and State v. Bryson, 506 S.W.2d 358 (Mo. 1974)). 11 Here the evidence showed that the informant not only heard the officers announce their presence but also clearly understood their purpose to arrest the suspect because she was the one who directed law enforcement to the residence for that exact purpose. Under these circumstances, the officers complied with section 544.200 because they knocked, announced their presence, demanded entry, and were refused. Although there was sufficient evidence that Deputy Hunt knowingly damaged the residence, as a matter of law this charge was not submissible because he was acting lawfully under the privilege of section 544.200. The conviction for second-degree property damage is reversed.