Opinion ID: 154635
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: In November 1994, Mr. Swallow, his wife Cleo, and his two children lived on the Wind River Reservation at a location commonly known as the “ditch camp,” approximately one-half mile from the settlement of Crowheart, Wyoming. Mr. Swallow’s two brothers, Shawn and Ethan Swallow, resided next door. On November 24, 1994, sometime after 10:00 p.m., Cleo, recently beaten by Mr. Swallow, retreated to Shawn’s and Ethan’s home. Rec. vol. VII, at 85, 202. Mr. Swallow, apparently intoxicated, entered his brothers’ home shortly after Cleo arrived. After fighting with his brother Ethan, id. at 86, 204, Shawn told Mr. Swallow to go home 2 until he had calmed down. Id. at 94, 206. About five minutes later, Mr. Swallow kicked in the door to his brothers’ home and entered with a gun. Id. at 108. The three brothers started arguing. Mr. Swallow then shot his brother Shawn, and a guest, Reuben Lajeunesse, both of whom died almost immediately. Mr. Swallow also shot his brother Ethan, and his wife. Ethan died approximately ninety minutes later; Mr. Swallow’s wife died several hours later. Four adults and Mr. Swallow’s two children were also present at the time of the shootings. Regina Hill and Mr. Swallow’s son escaped unharmed to the residence of a neighbor, Tom Presgrove, who was also in the house at the time of the shootings. Mr. Presgrove, Douglas Willow, Verna No Ear, and Mr. Swallow’s twelve-month-old daughter escaped and hid behind some other buildings nearby. Eventually the three adults, with the infant, approached Mr. Swallow, and Mr. Willow attempted to telephone for help. Mr. Swallow then pulled the telephone cord out of the wall. When Mr. Willow attempted to render aid to Cleo, Mr. Swallow said, “No, just leave her there.” Rec. vol. VII, at 126. Ms. No Ear asked if they could take Ethan, and Mr. Swallow replied, “No Verna, I don’t know what I’m going to do next. Just go.” Id. at 221-22. After the survivors had left the camp, Mr. Swallow telephoned 911 at 10:38 p.m. and spoke with the 911 dispatcher at the Fremont County sheriff’s office for approximately two hours and forty minutes. Mr. Swallow told the dispatcher he “just shot up half the house.” Rec. vol. V, at 43. 3 During the phone call, Mr. Swallow repeatedly asked for medical personnel to render assistance, but refused to surrender as the 911 operators requested. At one point, Mr. Swallow stated he would not harm any medical personnel, but early in the conversation, he threatened to kill any law enforcement personnel who entered the house. The standard operating procedure for Fremont County emergency responders requires that law enforcement personnel secure a crime scene before entry. Although there are minor disputes about the facts, the parties agree to the following events: The dispatch center mobilized and dispatched emergency medical personnel shortly after receiving the 911 call. A command post was established sometime after 11:00 p.m. in the Crowheart Fire Hall, approximately thirty-five miles from the reservation headquarters and fifty miles from the Fremont County sheriff’s office. The first ranking law enforcement official arrived at the fire hall at approximately 11:30 p.m. The rescue squad encountered several delays in reaching the reservation site. The remote area of the ditch camp presented communications problems between the squad and the dispatcher, which impeded organization of the rescue team. The distance from the Fremont County sheriff’s office to the site also added to the response time. The squad cleared Mr. Presgrove’s residence and then it stopped to interview both the witnesses to the shootings and a car-load of people seen departing from Shawn and Ethan Swallow’s residence. After learning that Mr. Swallow was an excellent marksman, and because of the clear moonlit night and open grazing land surrounding the camp, the squad decided to 4 take a more circuitous route to approach the residence. The squad also waited for two other groups of officers, who approached the site from different directions. At approximately 1:13 a.m., Mr. Swallow left his brother’s house and returned to his house. Around 3:15 a.m., the authorities entered Mr. Swallow’s brother’s house and found all four victims dead. The authorities then proceeded to Mr. Swallow’s residence, where they found him asleep. The pathologist who performed autopsies upon the bodies of Cleo and Ethan Swallow testified that both individuals bled to death as the result of gunshot wounds. Prior to trial, the government filed a motion in limine to prohibit Mr. Swallow from “arguing to the jury that [he] should be relieved from criminal responsibility in the deaths of Cleo Swallow and Ethan Swallow as the result of the acts or omissions of law enforcement officers and/or emergency technicians.” Rec. vol. I, doc 47, at 1. After Mr. Swallow filed a response, the court heard argument on the government’s motion. The court ruled that it would allow Mr. Swallow to lay the foundation for a defense based on the acts and omissions of the officers and technicians. The court also stated that it would allow Mr. Swallow’s attorney to “cross-examine witnesses in such a way that will allow you to assert that there is a legitimate basis for this defense.” Rec. vol. III, at 28. However, the court added that it would not allow Mr. Swallow’s counsel to “mention this defense, per se.” Id. 5 During the instruction conference, the court again heard argument on the issue. The court rejected Mr. Swallow’s proposed instructions, ruling they did not contain a correct statement of the law on intervening cause as applied by a majority of courts. Furthermore, the district court stated that there was insufficient evidence to justify giving the instructions. For the reasons stated herein, we affirm the district court’s ruling.