Opinion ID: 536966
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Threat to Life

Text: 19 The District Court's suggestion that the officers' belief in an imminent PCP-fume-induced explosion was a justifying exigency is equally devoid of record support. An expert witness for the Government testified that, under some circumstances, large quantities of PCP can explode. However, nothing in the testimony of this witness established that the smell of PCP alone could lead a reasonable officer to conclude that the officers had to act immediately to protect or preserve life or avoid serious injury. See Mincey, 437 U.S. at 392, 98 S.Ct. at 2413. On the most generous reading of this witness' testimony, he might be understood to have asserted that very high levels of PCP-fumes may sometimes signal imminent threat of harm or loss of life from explosion. However, it is quite clear on the record that the officers did not face any such high level of fumes and that their search of the apartment was not justified by any concern for the public safety. 20 Only Officer Allen testified that he smelled PCP in the hallway and that he mentioned the smell to his superior officer, Sergeant Poole. See Tr. 27, 35. Officer Allen did not testify that he thought that the PCP threatened to explode, nor is there any other evidence to indicate that there were enough fumes in the hallway for a reasonable person to fear an explosion. 3 Sergeant Poole testified that he did not even recognize the smell of PCP until after he entered the apartment. See id. at 75. Indeed, his testimony on the point indicates that his concern about PCP was almost casual. See id. at 72 (To the best of my recollection, a comment was made about the odor of PCP. I don't know who made it. It wasn't myself, but I don't know who made it.). It is hardly surprising that the Sergeant seemed so casual given that only one officer even noticed any smell in the hallway. 4 21 We have no doubt that, on the record before us, the Government failed to carry its burden to show that the officers acted lawfully in entering the apartment without a warrant; the evidence plainly does not support a finding that the officers' conduct was justified by some urgent need to act to protect or preserve life or avoid serious injury. The District's Court's suggestions to the contrary simply find no support on the record. Even if we give the most generous reading to the testimony of the Government's expert--and assume that very high levels of PCP-fumes may sometimes signal imminent danger--there is nothing in the evidence to indicate that the officers faced such a situation when they decided to enter Mrs. Timberlake's home without a warrant. Therefore, there was no exigent circumstance justifying the warrantless entry.