Opinion ID: 524999
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Officers' Authority to Arrest Under Texas Law

Text: 61 McKee presented sufficient evidence to raise a jury question concerning whether the officers possessed authority to arrest Streetman without a warrant under Texas law. McKee's evidence is sufficient because the Texas legislature in 1985 broadened the authority of police officers to arrest without a warrant. Tex.Code Crim.Proc. Art. 14.03(2) (Vernon) (Sept.1985). McKee's assault occurred in 1986. To appreciate the legislative revision, one must understand the applicable rules of law before 1985. Traditionally, in Texas, an officer with probable cause could only arrest a suspect without a warrant in two situations: (1) if the officer personally observed the arrestee commit either a felony or a misdemeanor; or (2) if the officer had reason to believe that the arrestee committed a felony. See Tex.Code Crim.Proc. Art. 14.01 & 14.03 (Vernon) (1967). 62 Texas subdivides assault into simple assault (22.01) and aggravated assault (22.02). 3 3] In Texas, the crime of simple assault is only a misdemeanor. Tex. Penal Code Sec. 22.01 (Vernon). A person commits [the offense of simple assault] if the person: (1) intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily injury to another ... or (2) ... threatens another with imminent bodily injury.... Tex. Penal Code Sec. 22.01. In contrast, the crime of aggravated assault is a felony. A person commits [the offense of aggravated assault] if the person commits assault as defined in Section 22.01 of this code [simple assault] and the person: (1) causes serious bodily injury to another.... Tex. Penal Code Sec. 22.02 (Vernon). The alleged crime of simple assault, a misdemeanor, is involved in this case. 63 As used in the assault statutes and the arrest statutes, the terms bodily injury and serious bodily injury are defined by statute.  'Bodily injury ' means physical pain, illness, or any impairment of physical condition. Tex.Penal Code Sec. 1.07(7) (Vernon) (emphasis added). Serious bodily injury is defined as bodily injury that creates a substantial risk of death or that causes death, serious permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. Tex.Penal Code Sec. 1.07(34) (Vernon). 64 Under the Texas assault statutes, and the pre-1985 arrest statutes, the officers would need to find evidence of serious bodily injury--an element of an aggravated assault, which is a felony--before they could arrest a person for an assault committed outside of their presence. For the officers to make a misdemeanor arrest for simple assault, an element of which is bodily injury, either they would have to witness the incident or they would have to procure a warrant. To procure a warrant, it is necessary for the complaining party to file a complaint. 65 Effective September 1, 1985, the Texas legislature dramatically revised the applicable law. No longer is serious bodily injury necessary for an officer to be able to arrest a suspect without a warrant if the act of violence was committed outside of the officer's presence. A police officer may arrest, without warrant: ... (2) persons who[m] the [police] officer has probable cause to believe have committed an assault resulting in bodily injury to another person and the [police] officer has probable cause to believe that there is danger of further bodily injury to that person.... Tex.Code Crim.Proc. Art. 14.03(2) (Vernon) (1985) (emphasis added). Only bodily injury, the standard embodied in the simple assault statute, is now necessary for an officer, as of 1985, to be able to make an arrest in a case in which the officer did not observe the assault. 66 The majority states that [t]he only evidence of the alleged assault was McKee's allegation. Yet the officers could see no physical indicia of an assault. Physical marks on a victim's body are not necessary to constitute bodily injury under Texas law. Texas requires that the victim experience physical pain, illness or any impairment of any physical condition for the victim to suffer bodily injury under the statute, Tex.Penal Code Sec. 1.07(7), but this standard does not necessarily require welts, cuts, bruises or any other physical indicia of injury. Someone who is punched in the stomach may experience physical pain, but there may not be any marks or other physical indicia of the blow. 67 Texas courts have addressed clearly the physical pain/bodily injury issue. Yarbrough v. Texas, 656 S.W.2d 200, 200-01 (Tex.App.--Austin 1983) (a kick to a man's groin found to be sufficient physical pain to sustain the requirement of bodily injury); Rangel v. Texas, 747 S.W.2d 32, 32-33 (Tex.App.--San Antonio 1988) (slap to the face met bodily injury standard); Madrigal Rodriguez v. Texas, 749 S.W.2d 576, 578 (Tex.App.--Corpus Christi 1988) (placing a knife tip at a person's neck, without any evidence of the knife puncturing the victim's skin, gave rise to sufficient physical pain). The important factor is whether the victim experiences physical pain, not whether there is any physical indicia of a serious bodily injury. 68 McKee's summary judgment evidence gives rise to a jury question concerning whether a reasonable police officer would discern that McKee was experiencing physical pain, and therefore whether the officers had the authority to arrest Streetman under Texas law for simple assault, a misdemeanor. We accept the plaintiff's evidence, including the affidavit, as true at this stage in the case. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2513, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2554, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Phillips Oil Co. v. OKC Corp., 812 F.2d 265, 272 (5th Cir.1987). All reasonable inferences are to be drawn in the plaintiff's favor. See Phillips, 812 F.2d at 272. We are not to judge the credibility of the witnesses at this stage; such judgments must be made by the trier of fact at the appropriate time. 69 In her affidavit responding to defendants' motions for summary judgment, McKee states: 70 On and prior to April 30, 1986, I was living at the residence of Harry Streetman in Rockwall, Texas. On that date, I arrived home and was attacked and beaten by Mr. Streetman. I also discovered that Mr. Streetman had disabled my car and thereby prevented my escape. He also threatened me with severe personal injury. McKee goes on in her affidavit to state: 71 I informed the officers of the following facts: 72 A. That I had been physically assaulted by Harry Streetman. 73 B. That Harry Streetman had made threats of severe bodily injury and death against me. 74 C. That I was in fear of serious injury if Mr. Streetman was not restrained. 75 D. That my personal effects were in Mr. Streetman's apartment and that he would not allow me to retrieve them. 76 Additionally, I requested that the police arrest Mr. Streetman or take me to my parents' home, a place of relative safety. 77 A reasonable inference from McKee's affidavit is that she experienced physical pain from Streetman beating and assaulting her. McKee told the officers that she had been assaulted and that she feared imminent bodily injury from Streetman. Tragically, her fear came true. However, the officers did not believe McKee so they left the scene. Shortly after their departure, Streetman knifed McKee. 78 At this summary judgment stage, it is inappropriate for a court to test the credibility of the affiant. The majority errs by engaging in discussion which properly should occur within the enclosure of the jury room. We have a classic conflict about exactly what evidence was before the officers when they refused to arrest Streetman. I disagree with the majority's reasoning and characterization of the evidence concerning the authority of the officers to arrest Streetman. Two very different versions--McKee's and the officers'--tell the story of what McKee told the officers on April 30, 1986. For summary judgment purposes, we must believe McKee. Consequently, we should find that McKee has presented evidence from which a reasonable jury could conclude that the officers had the authority to arrest Streetman for his beating of McKee before the officers arrived.