Opinion ID: 2960160
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Valentine’s Arrest

Text: Valentine had stepped out of his car and was walking toward the trunk area at approximately 1:30 p.m. when Sergeant Hoehl and Det. Crockett blocked his car with their unmarked police cars. The officers, wearing plainclothes and badges, approached Valentine 5 Although Det. Johnson testified that he could see Valentine and the others the entire time they were in the lot, the district court found that Det. Johnson could not see what transpired there. 6 Of the five people arrested that day, only Valentine ultimately was prosecuted. 4 from the front and rear of his car and told him they were police officers and that he was under arrest. Valentine struggled with the officers, and Det. Johnson and at least two other officers ran over to assist in Valentine’s arrest. Sergeant Hoehl stated that because he felt Valentine reach for his gun at one point during the scuffle, Sergeant Hoehl hit him on the head with handcuffs to subdue him. Once the officers had Valentine handcuffed, they called an ambulance to treat Valentine’s resulting head wound. After Valentine’s arrest, Det. Johnson searched Valentine’s car and found the gray sweatshirt Valentine had been wearing earlier in the day. Inside a pocket of the sweatshirt, he found some glassine bags of heroin. No other contraband was found in the car.