Opinion ID: 1667075
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: testimony about assault

Text: Deputies Lloyd Schoolfield and David Weaver testified as witnesses to the assault. On the morning of February 10, 2008, Schoolfield was supervising the serving of the breakfast trays and the inmates of the Sarpy County jail were eating breakfast in their day areas. Alford and Lukowski were inmates in the same unit. Schoolfield had already served Alford's unit and was serving another unit nearby when he heard a noise. Schoolfield proceeded to where Alford and Lukowski were housed, and, through a window, he observed Alford and Lukowski locked in a fighting embrace. Waiting for assistance to break up the fight, Schoolfield testified that he watched Alford free a hand and start throwing punches to the head of Lukowski. When Weaver arrived to assist, the two deputies entered the unit and Schoolfield supervised the lockdown of the inmates not participating in the fight. By this time, Alford and Lukowski had fallen to the floor. Alford was underneath Lukowski with his arms around Lukowski's neck, holding Lukowski in a headlock to his chest. Weaver observed that Lukowski's arms were free, but that he did not hit Alford. Alford continued to hold Lukowski in this manner even after Weaver approached and ordered him to let Lukowski go. Weaver repeated the order while applying the mandibular angle pressure point. The first time Weaver did this, Alford winced, but did not let Lukowski go. After the second time, Alford released Lukowski. When Alford and Lukowski got up, Schoolfield and Weaver observed that Lukowski had a bloody nose. Schoolfield testified that he had observed Lukowski's face when they had delivered the breakfast trays and that he had not observed any injuries before the fight occurred. Alford, in contrast, did not appear to be injured after the fight, and Alford told Schoolfield that he was not injured. Lukowski was sent to the jail's nurse. Only one of the inmates in Alford's unit agreed to describe for Schoolfield the events leading up to the fight. Schoolfield testified that the inmate was no longer in the Sarpy County jail. Defense counsel believed that the inmate's description of the fight was favorable to Alford's defense. But when defense counsel asked Schoolfield what the inmate had said, the court sustained the State's hearsay objection. Defense counsel made an offer of proof that Schoolfield would testify that Alford had accused Lukowski of cheating in a poker game the night before and that, in response, Lukowski attacked Alford and began hitting him. At trial, Lukowski testified that he had begun the physical altercation with Alford. Lukowski testified that on the morning of February 10, 2008, Alford was running his mouth, so Lukowski told Alford to stand up and shut up or do something about it. Lukowski testified that Alford then came toward him and that he felt threatened, so he swung at Alford, but missed. Lukowski testified that Alford did not immediately respond and that Lukowski started choking Alford. Lukowski testified that when Schoolfield arrived, he and Alford were facing each other and that Lukowski had one arm around Alford's upper back and neck and the other arm around his waist. Alford had both his hands around Lukowski's back. After that, Alford broke my hands loose from around his neck and hit me in the face a few times and threw me to the ground and put me in a headlock and [the fight] got broke up by Deputy Weaver. On cross-examination, Lukowski elaborated that he had also head-butt[ed] Alford a couple of times in the course of the fight. Furthermore, Lukowski stated that while Alford had him in a headlock on the floor, Lukowski was still trying to get at his throat . . . I was still trying to choke him out. Lukowski testified that he received injuries, including a bloody nose and a black eye, as a result of being struck in the face by Alford. In a photograph taken of Lukowski after the fight, he appears to have a black eye and a bruised nose. The court received, without objection, a statement made by Lukowski shortly after the incident. In that statement, Lukowski did not mention choking Alford at all. Lukowski's statement described that Alford rushed toward him. In response, Lukowski swung at Alford, but missed. Lukowski stated that Alford took advantage and I was hit in the eye, and nose and was taken to the floor and seconds later 2 officer's [sic] broke up the fight. Referring to the statement, the prosecutor asked Lukowski when he had decided he had more to add. Lukowski answered that it was just 2 days prior to trial. The prosecutor also asked to whom Lukowski had given this additional information, and Lukowski answered that he had only told Alford's counsel. Upon further questioning, Lukowski confirmed that he had never shared this additional information with anyone at the jail.