Opinion ID: 2559480
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Evidence at the Suppression Hearing

Text: Viewed in the light most favorable to sustaining the trial court's ruling, [3] the evidence showed the following. [4] At approximately 10:00 p.m. on May 11, 2006, Silas Eng, Nathan Ford, and Christopher Kastronis were walking to a nightclub in northeast Washington, D.C., when at least five men jumped out of a black Jeep Liberty and robbed them at gunpoint. The robbers took cash from Mr. Eng and Mr. Ford, and cash, a cell phone, and a bank card from Mr. Kastronis. They also attempted to force Mr. Kastronis into their Jeep at gunpoint, in order to take him to an ATM to withdraw money. Fearing the arrival of the police, however, the robbers soon abandoned this effort and drove off. Mr. Eng, Mr. Ford, and Mr. Kastronis ran to the nightclub and reported the robbery to two police officers who were parked outside. The officers broadcast a lookout for five or six black males in dark clothing riding in a black Jeep Liberty with Virginia tags. Within two, three minutes of the lookout, Officer Michael Jenkins and his partner spotted the Jeep Liberty and attempted to stop it. The occupants of the Jeep continued at a high rate of speed in [an] attempt to flee, and the officers chased them for five minutes or less. The Jeep then crashed into a tree near Second and Taylor Streets, N.E., and the officers saw five suspects bail out of the vehicle and flee. One suspect ran into the woods while four others ran off in a bunch toward the grounds of the nearby Archbishop Carroll High School. Officers cordoned off a perimeter around the area, and additional police officers responded to canvass the area. At Mr. Hampleton's suppression hearing, the government played a recording of radio broadcasts related to the police search. The trial court noted for the record that the recording sounded fairly chaotic and that there were different officers on the scene ... chasing ... several individuals in the Archbishop Carroll location who seem to be moving in different directions. At the end of the recording, Officer Antoine's voice [came] over the radio. Another one of the officers, Officer Neffon, was stationed on Scale Gate Road Bridge overlooking North Capitol Street. Officer Neffon broadcast a lookout that she had observed black males ... wearing dark clothing attempting to climb over the fence of Archbishop Carroll High School from the school grounds onto North Capitol Street. She further noted that, after seeing her cruiser, the individuals abandoned their attempt and retreated back inside the school grounds. [5] Officer Lennox Antoine heard Officer Neffon's broadcast as he was driving in a marked police cruiser southbound down North Capitol Street in response to the robbery lookout. Within a few seconds of Officer Neffon's broadcast and approximately 10 to 15 minutes after the bailout, [6] Officer Antoine saw Mr. Hampleton walking in the 3700 block of North Capitol Street. Mr. Hampleton was on the other side of North Capitol Street from the Archbishop Carroll High School, near the exit ramp to Scale Gate Road. He was walking northbound up North Capitol Street toward Fort Drive. At Mr. Hampleton's suppression hearing, Officer Antoine testified that, because [t]here's no sidewalk on North Capitol Street, Mr. Hampleton was walking along a grassy area. Officer Antoine also testified that he did not see anyone else in or around the area. Mr. Hampleton was wearing dark clothing and appeared to be talking on a cell phone. Upon seeing Mr. Hampleton, Officer Antoine immediately pulled to the curb ... put [his] spotlight on him ... exit[ed the] vehicle [and] order[ed] him to lay on the ground. Mr. Hampleton complied, and Officer Antoine handcuffed him and patted him down for weapons. Officer Antoine then placed his hand on Mr. Hampleton's chest and concluded that his heart rate was not normal and that he was breathing heavy, which led Officer Antoine to believe that Mr. Hampleton had been running. [7] In Mr. Hampleton's pockets, Officer Antoine found approximately four cell phones, including one belonging to Mr. Kastronis, and Mr. Kastronis's cash card. When Officer Antoine asked where the card came from, Mr. Hampleton stated that he found it. Officer Antoine then radioed the police dispatcher for further information on Mr. Hampleton and discovered that he was wanted from the Fifth District on two outstanding warrants for robbery. Two officers who had witnessed the crash of the Jeep came to the scene, and they each identified Mr. Hampleton as one of the suspects who had bailed out and fled from the crash. [8] Mr. Hampleton was placed under arrest. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Eng, Mr. Ford, and Mr. Kastronis were brought to see Mr. Hampleton, and Mr. Eng and Mr. Ford identified him as one of the robbers.