Opinion ID: 853449
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Evidence on Self Defense

Text: Mickens also claims the State did not disprove his claim of self-defense. The facts most favorable to the verdict revealed that in late March 1999, sixteen-year-old Lanchester Whitlow (a.k.a.Butter) threatened to beat up eighteen-year-old Gerald Mickens (Bolo) if Mickens refused to pay off his debt to Whitlow. (R. at 180, 183-84, 193.) On the night of March 30, 1999, Mickens escorted his fifteen-year-old girlfriend, Sherea Upshaw, northbound on College Avenue to her home. Meanwhile, Whitlow and his sixteen-year-old friend, Marcus Lewis, walked southbound and encountered the couple. As the parties approached one another, no words were exchanged. Whitlow punched Mickens in the face once and Lewis struck him. Mickens then stepped back and drew a gun. Lewis had seen Mickens' hand in his pocket earlier, but did not think anything of it until Mickens drew the gun. Lewis ran from Mickens when he saw the gun; Whitlow remained motionless. After hearing a shot, Lewis turned around in time to see Mickens fire a second shot in the vicinity of where Whitlow lay. Whitlow died from gunshot wounds to the head and abdomen. The State charged Mickens with knowingly killing another human being by shooting a deadly weapon. Mickens does not contest the adequacy of the proof on these elements, arguing instead that the State unsuccessfully rebutted his claim of self-defense. In a homicide prosecution, a self-defense claim can prevail only if the defendant had a reasonable fear of death or great bodily harm. Brooks v. State, 683 N.E.2d 574, 577 (Ind.1997). A defendant may use deadly force to repel an attack only if such force is reasonable and believed to be necessary. Crisler v. State, 509 N.E.2d 822 (Ind.1987). Indeed, [t]he trier of fact is not precluded from finding that a defendant used unreasonable force simply because the victim was the initial aggressor. Birdsong v. State, 685 N.E.2d 42, 45 (Ind.1997) (citations omitted). When a defendant asserts self-defense, the burden shifts to the State to disprove one of the elements of self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. The State may carry its burden by rebutting the defense directly, by affirmatively showing the defendant did not act in self-defense, or by simply relying upon the sufficiency of its evidence in chief. Lilly v. State, 506 N.E.2d 23, 24 (Ind.1987). Here, the evidence favorable to the verdict suggests that Whitlow and Lewis each punched Mickens once after approaching him and his girlfriend. Neither of Mickens' assailants possessed guns at the time of the confrontation. Nevertheless, after being hit twice, Mickens backed away from the aggressors, drew a gun, and shot Whitlow two times. According to Lewis' testimony, Mickens shot Whitlow again after his first shot knocked the victim to the ground. (R. at 187.) This was ample evidence from which a reasonable juror could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Mickens used excessive force and could not have entertained a good faith belief that he was in danger of death or great bodily harm. Accordingly, we will not disturb the jury's decision.