Opinion ID: 1153121
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: The minutes of the commission meeting contain substantial evidence in support of the City's position, including police records of the number and types of incidents at the lounge requiring police responses between September 1990 and September 14, 1992. Specifically, Police Chief Locke testified that his office had received 101 calls, which resulted in five arrests, two for assault, one shooting,... four burglary arrests of individuals patronizing the business, [and] two alcohol violations. Moreover, he testified: [O]ne officer cannot police it, it takes at least two or three, preferably four officers to police it adequately, and from 2:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m. it takes the constant presence to adequately police it. But perhaps the most compelling evidence was testimony contained in the police report of Officer Richard Campbell, who drew his weapon and fired warning shots when a crowd of people from the lounge and lounge parking lot attacked him with rocks and bottles as he was attempting to arrest a man involved in a fight at the lounge. The incident was the subject of considerable discussion, some of which included the following excerpt, which was read verbatim from officer Campbell's report at the November 24, 1992, commissioners' meeting and recorded on the audio tape of that meeting: [O]n November 8, 1992, at 3:27 in the morning, I was dispatched to a fight at the Salt & Pepper Lounge. I arrived and found two males fighting in the front door of the club. He was fighting with the security guard. They started toward my vehicle, I got out and one of the males ... was abusive and [used] abusive language to me. I advised him he was under arrest, he struck me in the chest and started to run. I grabbed him, [and] we went to the ground after a short chase. We struggled on the ground and we were on the north side of the club. While we were on the ground, a large crowd gathered and had me where I could not reach my patrol vehicle. Members of the crowd started throwing rocks and bottles at me. I could not get to my radio because of Mr. Carrol, and I was still struggling on the ground. We had gotten between a garbage dumpster and a vehicle parked next to it and I could not move backwards or forward. The crowd was very close and many rocks and bottles were hitting close to my head. I could feel the pieces of glass hitting me. I was struck on the top of my right shoulder with a rock or bottle. I could not tell which it was. I felt that my life was in danger. Nine days after this incident, Sanders received the letter regarding the proposed revocation. Indeed, the significance attributed to this incident by members of the commission is illustrated by the following excerpt from the minutes: [Commissioner Stokes] said the main concern he had was the nature of the calls, assault[s], shootings, and more seriously to him, the recent assault on the police officer. Commissioner Stokes said the police officer felt his life was in danger by trying to respond to a call to try to maintain public order. He said they have the ABC report [5] concerning lewd dancing, a recommendation from the police chief, who they hired to maintain public order in the City of Dothan, and he had stated that he felt his police officers were in danger when they go to that club and respond to disturbances. (Emphasis added.) Although we might draw inferences from this and other testimony that would differ from those drawn by the commission, the minutes and audio tapes of these meetings contain evidence that justif[ies] the finding [of the commission] as a legitimate inference from the facts. Alabama Electric Cooperative v. Alabama Power Co., 278 Ala. 123,126, 176 So.2d 483, 485 (1965).