Opinion ID: 168860
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: d etention & s earch

Text: On May 13, 2005, at approximately 12:45 a.m., Officer Bryce Weir of the Roy City Police Department observed a vehicle without its headlights on pull out from a row of parked cars in the parking lot of Kwik City Muffler, an automobile repair shop located on 4000 South Street in Roy, Utah. Officer Weir then observed the vehicle engage its headlights and turn onto the road. This vehicle was being driven by Mr. Murphy and contained one passenger, Joshua Baxter. Officer Weir immediately suspected that a vehicle burglary was taking place because Kwik City Muffler was closed and kept cars awaiting service in its parking lot overnight. Officer Weir also testified that the neighborhood where Kwik City Muffler is located is known for its high incidence of automobile thefts and burglaries, especially in the spring. Officer Weir began following the vehicle but did not turn on his emergency lights or siren. Approximately 30 seconds later, without any direction from Officer Weir, Mr. Murphy pulled over to the side of the road. After parking ten to fifteen feet behind the vehicle, Officer Weir approached it from the driver’s side, identified himself, and informed Mr. Murphy that he was “not being detained” and was “free to leave at any time.” Rec. vol. II, at 15. Officer Weir then asked Mr. Murphy to identify himself and explained his concerns regarding Mr. Murphy’s presence in Kwik City Muffler’s parking lot. Mr. Murphy did not have a driver’s license or any documentation connecting him -2- to the vehicle. He gave Officer Weir his name and date of birth, and stated that the vehicle belonged to his girlfriend, Heidi Wheelwright. He also denied being “at” Kwik City Muffler and told Officer Weir that he was just turning around to catch up to a friend’s truck that had just passed. Id. at 16. Having not seen any other vehicles in the area “with lights or stopped or moving,” Officer Weir “asked him what truck” and told Mr. Murphy that he did not believe him because he saw the vehicle’s headlights turn on before it exited the parking lot. Id. Mr. Murphy insisted that he saw his friend’s truck and had simply been turning around. Officer Weir then asked Mr. Baxter for his name and date of birth, but he refused to give them. At 12:50 a.m., Officer Weir returned to his patrol car to run computer checks on Mr. Murphy and the vehicle. He also called police dispatch, reported a “suspicious circumstance,” and requested back-up. Id. at 30. The computer check on Mr. Murphy revealed “a number of pages . . . of incidents,” including arrests for “burglaries, thefts, and narcotics.” Id. at 18-19. The check also indicated that Mr. Murphy was a member of the Silent Aryan Warriors, a white supremacist gang involved in local burglaries, thefts, and narcotics trafficking. The computer check on the vehicle confirmed Mr. Murphy’s statement that Heidi Wheelwright was the vehicle’s registered owner. Id. at 53-54. At approximately 12:51 a.m., Officer Curtis Gibson arrived on the scene. Another officer, Brian Seward, also arrived around this time. Officer Weir then re-approached the vehicle to have Mr. Murphy “confirm what he was telling [him].” Id. at 20. After briefly speaking with Mr. Murphy and asking him to step out of the vehicle, -3- Officer Weir asked Mr. Baxter if he would step out of the car and speak with him. Mr. Baxter agreed. Officer Weir repeated his concerns regarding the pair’s presence in the parking lot and again asked Mr. Baxter for his name and date of birth. Rather than refusing outright, Mr. Baxter offered a name and a July 15, 1984 date of birth. After checking this information on his computer and conducting some further questioning, Officer Weir learned that Mr. Baxter had lied. After Officer Weir informed him of this discovery, Mr. Baxter gave a different name and birth date. Officer Weir soon learned this information was also false. Mr. Baxter then provided a social security number. Meanwhile, Officer Gibson “had [Mr. Murphy] sit on the curb” and continued to question him about “whether he had permission to be in possession of the vehicle.” Id. at 64. During their conversation, Mr. Murphy gave Officer Gibson a room number at a motel where he said Ms. Wheelright could be reached. Officer Gibson radioed an officer from the Ogden Police Department to go to this motel and speak to Ms. Wheelright. Fifteen minutes later, Officer Gibson learned that the officer was unable to contact Ms. Wheelright at the motel. Shortly thereafter, Officer Weir’s computer check of the social security number proffered by Mr. Baxter revealed two outstanding warrants for his arrest. At approximately 1:25 a.m., Mr. Baxter was arrested, handcuffed, and placed in the back seat of Officer Weir’s patrol car. At 1:26 a.m., an officer from the Riverdale Police Department arrived to conduct a K-9 search of the car. The K-9 search began almost immediately after the officer arrived -4- and lasted “a couple of minutes.” Id. at 27. After the dog failed to alert, Officer Weir conducted a hand search of the vehicle’s passenger compartment. He discovered a bag containing two firearms, one of which had a defaced serial number. Around 2:00 a.m., Mr. Murphy was arrested.