Opinion ID: 1387356
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Guidelines Enhancement for Assault on an Official Victim

Text: Thompson first contends that the district court erred by enhancing his offense level under U.S.S.G. § 3A1.2 for assaulting an officer. He argues that he did not know that the purported drug dealer in the hotel room was actually an undercover officer. He also argues that the district court found that only Jones fired on the officers who were in pursuit of the two as they fled the hotel room. We find no error by the district court. Section 3A1.2 provides in relevant part: (c) If, in a manner creating a substantial risk of serious bodily injury, the defendant or a person for whose conduct the defendant is otherwise accountable (1) knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that a person was a law enforcement officer, assaulted such officer during the course of the offense or immediate flight therefrom; . . . increase [the offense level] by 6 levels. The district court made clear that the enhancement went to Thompson's conduct after the robbery, not his conduct in the hotel room. Both Thompson and Jones brandished their firearms as they fled the room. The evidence presented during the sentencing hearing also confirmed that the two defendants were on sufficient notice that the pursuing officers were, in fact, police officers. Even assuming arguendo that there was insufficient evidence that Thompson himself shot at the officers, there was sufficient evidence that a person for whose conduct Thompson was otherwise accountable created a substantial risk of serious bodily injury. There is little dispute that Jones fired at the officers during the flight. In discussing Thompson's leadership role in the conspiracy, the district court found that Thompson was the man in charge because: (a) he was the man with whom the CI negotiated to try to arrange to buy 20 kilograms of cocaine, JA 133; (b) the negotiations continued with Thompson, id.; (c) he was the man that was doing all the talking and wanted to see the cocaine, id.; (d) [h]e's the one that went out and brought in Jones to try to complete the deal with his additional money, JA 134; and (e) `The was also giving directions to Jones, who attempted to turn left down the hall. And he directed him, no, to go right down the hall and down the stairs at the end of the hall, id. Finding Thompson to be the man in charge, it was not unreasonable for the district court also to conclude that he should be held accountable . . . for the shots being fired by Jones. JA 131. Under U.S.S.G. § 3A1.2(c), this was sufficient to apply the six-level enhancement.