Court Opinion

ID: 9693751
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 16:58:48.420683+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:19:49.818037
License: Public Domain

ZAPPALA, Justice.
I dissent. In his findings of facts, the trial judge concluded that the police officer was not on “official business” at the time he stopped at the gas station/mini-market. Our scope of review in this appeal is whether such finding is supported by credible evidence. Commonwealth v. Iannaccio, 505 Pa. 414, 425, 480 A.2d 966, 971 (1984), cert. den., 474 U.S. 830, 106 S.Ct. 96, 88 L.Ed.2d 78, Opinion in Support of Affirmance per Zappala, J. Rather than undertaking *262this review, the majority erroneously substitutes their own findings for that of the trial court. On the contrary, I would defer to the trial court and conclude that the trial court’s finding is supported by credible evidence. Therefore, since Officer Albert was not on “official business” when he believed a criminal offense was occurring outside of his jurisdiction, the authority for him to proceed under § 8953 of the Act was inapplicable. Accordingly, Officer Albert had no authority to stop and detain appellee.