Opinion ID: 1224510
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: did the trial court err by denying defendant's proffered jury instructions for self defense and defense of others?

Text: {6} Defendant argues that the trial court erred by denying his proffered jury instructions on self defense and defense of others. An instruction on a claim of self defense or defense of another should be given if there is any evidence, even slight evidence, to support the claim. State v. Duarte, 121 N.M. 553, 556, 915 P.2d 309, 312 (Ct.App.), cert. denied, 121 N.M. 444, 913 P.2d 251 (1996). The requirements of self defense are (1) an appearance of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to the defendant, (2) the defendant was in fact put in fear by the apparent danger, and (3) a reasonable person in the same circumstances would have reacted similarly. State v. Abeyta, 120 N.M. 233, 239, 901 P.2d 164, 170 (1995). [W]here an innocent bystander is accidentally killed during the attempt to defend oneself, the doctrine of self-defense provides a defense against the unintended killing. Id. at 243, 901 P.2d at 174. {7} However, the claim of self-defense may fail if the defendant was the aggressor or instigator of the conflict. Id. at 239, 901 P.2d at 170. The rule is well established in this jurisdiction that a defendant who provokes an encounter, as a result of which he [or she] finds it necessary to use deadly force to defend himself [or herself], is guilty of an unlawful homicide and cannot avail himself [or herself] of the claim that he [or she] was acting in self-defense. State v. Chavez, 99 N.M. 609, 611, 661 P.2d 887, 889 (1983) (holding that a defendant, convicted of felony murder for killing a store patron during an armed robbery, was not entitled to self defense claim). Self defense is not available to the defendant if he [or she] [started the fight] unless: [1. The defendant was using force which would not ordinarily create a substantial risk of death or great bodily harm; and 2. [victim] responded with force which would ordinarily create a substantial risk of death or great bodily harm].... UJI 14-5191 NMRA 1998. {8} Because Defendant followed Devine, drew his weapon, and fired into the air, he is the instigator of the conflict. Before Defendant drew his gun, there was no appearance of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to him by Devine. Thus, the question is whether Defendant's discharge of a gun into the air created a substantial risk of death or great bodily harm to preclude him from receiving an instruction for self defense or defense of others. We hold that it does. {9} Defendant argues that firing a gun into the air would not ordinarily create a substantial risk of death or great bodily harm, and that Devine responded with deadly force; thus, Defendant had a right to defend himself and his companions. District Judge Knowles noted: Now, the problem I have with the self-defense instruction is saying that if I fire a gun in the air, getting your attention and to scare you, that's not some form of aggravated assault, and saying that this is not the use of force which creates a substantial risk of death or great bodily harm, and I am firing the gun off to scare you. That bothers me a lot. I am trying to figure out a scenario where that's not the use of force which would create the risk of substantial bodily harm and where I can find [that] reasonable minds can differ as to what was being done here. We agree with his assessment. Defendant obtained a nine millimeter semi-automatic gun, followed Devine, Lynnae, and Clifton down a street to a vacant lot, brandished a deadly weapon, and fired it into the air. These provocative acts instigated a confrontation in which one person died and another was wounded. This show of potentially deadly force created a substantial risk of death or great bodily harm to which Devine responded with equally deadly force. The trial court did not err in refusing to give Defendant's self defense instruction.