Court Opinion

ID: 9906390
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-01 21:03:38.127811+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:24:20.674676
License: Public Domain

2023 IL App (1st) 210286-U
                                            No. 1-21-0286
                                    Order filed December 1, 2023
                                                                                        Sixth Division

 NOTICE: This order was filed under Supreme Court Rule 23 and is not precedent except in the
 limited circumstances allowed under Rule 23(e)(1).
 ______________________________________________________________________________
                                               IN THE
                                  APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS
                                          FIRST DISTRICT
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,                           )   Appeal from the
                                                                )   Circuit Court of
           Plaintiff-Appellee,                                  )   Cook County.
                                                                )
     v.                                                         )   No. 19 CR 4267
                                                                )
 NARVEAL RAGGS,                                                 )   Honorable
                                                                )   James B. Linn,
           Defendant-Appellant.                                 )   Judge, presiding.

           JUSTICE C.A. WALKER delivered the judgment of the court.
           Justices Hyman and Tailor concurred in the judgment.

                                              ORDER

¶1        Held: Defendant’s conviction for reckless discharge of a firearm is affirmed where the
                State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant was not acting in self-
                defense.

¶2        Following a bench trial, defendant Narveal Raggs was convicted of armed habitual criminal

(AHC) (720 ILCS 5/24-1.7(a) (West 2018)) and reckless discharge of a firearm (720 ILCS 5/24-

1.5(a) (West 2018)) and sentenced to concurrent terms of six and three years in prison,

respectively. On appeal, defendant challenges his conviction for reckless discharge of a firearm,
No. 1-21-0286

contending that the State failed to disprove that he acted in self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.

For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

¶3                                        I. BACKGROUND

¶4     Defendant’s convictions arose from a December 22, 2018 shooting that took place around

7 p.m. outside a barbershop on the 1400 block of West 103rd Street in Chicago. Following the

arrest, defendant and three codefendants, Michael Boykin, Keshawn Howze, and Marquez

Robinson, who are not parties to this appeal, were charged with various weapons-related crimes

in a 42-count indictment. Defendant was charged with one count of AHC (count I), four counts of

unlawful use of a weapon by a felon (UUWF) (counts IV, V, VI, and VII), six counts of aggravated

unlawful use of a weapon (AUUW) (counts VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, and XIII), and one count of

reckless discharge of a firearm (count XIV).

¶5     Prior to trial, defendant filed an answer to the State’s motion for discovery, indicating that

he would be raising the affirmative defenses of necessity and self-defense. Defendant, Boykin,

Howze, and Robinson proceeded to a joint bench trial.

¶6     The State’s evidence at trial included several surveillance videos, including footage of the

shooting; videotaped statements made to detectives by defendant and Boykin; and police

testimony. The parties stipulated as to the reliability of the commercial surveillance camera system

that recorded both east and west views of the block where the shooting took place. They also

stipulated that the date stamps on the surveillance videos were correct “but the time was one hour

ahead.” The videos are included in the record on appeal and were reviewed by this court.

¶7     One surveillance video clip, referred to at trial as “Channel 1, No. 2745,” was filmed by a

camera mounted a few storefronts west of the barbershop. It depicts a gray or silver Infiniti sports

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No. 1-21-0286

utility vehicle (Infiniti) parallel parking on the south side of the street, around seven or eight car-

lengths west of the barbershop, at about 4:30 p.m. Six men emerge from the Infiniti. As identified

at trial by police witnesses, the group includes defendant (wearing all dark clothing and dark

shoes), Boykin (wearing a dark tracksuit with white stripes down the arms and legs), Howze

(wearing a dark jacket and light-colored pants), and Robinson (wearing a dark hoodie with a white

design on the front, dark pants, and white shoes). The remaining two men are not identified in the

record on appeal. Defendant, Boykin, Howze, and Robinson walk eastward on the sidewalk, away

from the camera, and appear to enter the barbershop. The other two men follow at a distance.

¶8         Two surveillance video clips depict the shooting. One, referred to at trial as “Channel 1,

No. 0002,” depicts the same view as described above, starting just after 7 p.m. At “20:00:16,” the

Infiniti’s headlights and taillights turn on. Between “20:00:23” and “20:00:29,” the six men from

the earlier video come into view, emerging from the area near the barbershop’s doorway with

Boykin in the lead. The group walks westward along the sidewalk toward the Infiniti and the

surveillance camera.

¶9         At “20:00:41” in the video, Boykin, who is about halfway to the Infiniti, pulls a handgun

from his pants pocket. He walks a few paces with the handgun at his side and starts to put the

handgun in his front waistband. At “20:00:45,” he quickly raises the firearm and fires at least two

shots westward, apparently toward something beyond the camera’s frame. He then turns and runs

eastward. While running, he fires multiple shots westward, falls, and gets back up. He then moves

into the street, fires more shots, and returns to the sidewalk, where he shoots again, and then

continues moving eastward until a gray or silver sports utility vehicle (SUV) speeds by from west

to east.

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No. 1-21-0286

¶ 10   At “20:00:45” in the video, defendant, who is a few paces behind Boykin and the closest

man to the curb, moves his right arm far enough from the side of his body that a handgun is visible

in his hand. Within that second, he raises his arm and fires multiple shots westward while he runs

into the street. He turns eastward, runs around a parked sedan and back to the sidewalk, points the

firearm westward, and then ducks between two parked cars. As the SUV speeds past, he returns to

the sidewalk and runs eastward.

¶ 11   At “20:00:41” in the video, Howze’s right arm comes into view. He is holding a handgun

in his right hand. At “20:00:45,” he raises the firearm and points it westward. He then turns

eastward and runs three or four steps before falling to the ground, where he lies prone on the

sidewalk for about ten seconds. As the SUV enters the camera’s view from the west, Howze rolls

to his right side and raises his firearm. He shoots at the SUV numerous times as it speeds by and

then drops his right arm onto the sidewalk.

¶ 12   At “20:00:45” in the video, Robinson flinches and ducks, and then moves out of the

camera’s view, possibly into a storefront entrance. After the SUV passes, he reemerges onto the

sidewalk, appears to pick up something from the ground near Howze’s right hand, and runs

eastward.

¶ 13   The second surveillance video of the shooting, referred to at trial as “Channel 2, No. 5903,”

was filmed by a camera mounted slightly east of the barbershop, facing west. When the video clip

begins at “20:00:22,” the Infiniti’s lights are already on, and Boykin is emerging from the

barbershop onto the sidewalk. The other five men follow him outside, with defendant appearing

on the video at “20:00:26.” The group walks westward, toward the Infiniti and away from the

surveillance camera.

                                               -4-
No. 1-21-0286

¶ 14    At “20:00:41,” a gray or silver SUV with its lights off can be seen approaching from the

west. At “20:00:45,” the SUV, which is still west of the Infiniti, stops in the street. At “20:00:46,”

doors on both sides of it open. A man emerges from the driver’s side of the SUV and one flash of

gunfire can be seen coming from the area of his chest at “20:00:47.” By “20:00:48,” the man moves

back behind the driver’s side door and out of view. At “20:00:58,” the SUV’s doors close, its

headlights flash, and it starts moving eastward, accelerating as it speeds out of the camera’s frame.

¶ 15    From “20:00:41” through “20:00:45,” the men on the sidewalk are too far from the camera

to distinguish whether they are holding anything in their hands. At “20:00:46,” they scatter.

Defendant runs into the street, around a parked sedan, back to the sidewalk, and then eastward,

pointing toward the SUV before he runs beyond the camera’s view. Boykin runs eastward,

shooting back toward the SUV, falls, runs into the street, shoots, returns to the sidewalk, and

continues eastward. Howze runs a few steps before he falls to the ground, and then rolls to his side

and shoots at the SUV numerous times as it drives by him. Robinson disappears, reappears after

the SUV drives away, appears to pick up an object from the sidewalk near Howze, and then runs

eastward.

¶ 16    In his videotaped statement, defendant told detectives that he, Howze, and other people he

did not name were at the barbershop for a celebration and for Boykin to get his hair cut. Two or

three seconds and “two steps” after he walked out of the barbershop’s door, he heard shots and

started running. Gesturing to his left thigh, he stated that as soon as he “turned,” he felt that he had

been hit. He did not know who fired the shots or where they came from because he kept running

and did not look back. Defendant denied that he or anyone on his “side” was armed and he denied

having gotten “into it” with anyone. He admitted having been “locked up” for firearm crimes in

                                                 -5-
No. 1-21-0286

the past but denied shooting a firearm that night. He explained to the detectives that he suffered a

“through and through” gunshot wound to his left thigh.

¶ 17   In his videotaped statement, Boykin told the detectives that he was at the barbershop to get

his hair cut. He said that as he, Howze, Robinson, and defendant exited the shop, a car pulled up,

its doors opened, and people started shooting. Boykin ran. He denied that he or his group had

weapons or returned gunfire. When asked whether what he was saying would correspond with a

video of the incident, he first said he did not know, but then said, “Of course it’s going to match

up.” He said he did not know how shell casings ended up on the sidewalk.

¶ 18   Chicago police officer Steven Sebek testified that on the evening in question, he was on

patrol with his partners, Officers J. Siska and Jason Murdoch. Around 7 p.m., he saw Robinson,

whom he identified in court, running westbound on the sidewalk of the 1400 block of West 103rd

Street. The officers followed in their car as Robinson ran through an alley, along another sidewalk,

and back toward 103rd Street. At a corner, Robinson bent over and placed a handgun on the ground

in front of a residence on the 10300 block of South Church Street. Sebek exited the car and pursued

Robinson on foot as he ran eastbound on 103rd Street and entered a barbershop. Sebek observed

Howze, whom he identified in court, lying on the sidewalk. He followed Robinson into the

barbershop and placed him in custody. Sebek then went back to the residence on Church Street

and located the handgun Robinson had discarded, a Glock semiautomatic, which was recovered

by an evidence technician.

¶ 19   In court, Sebek was shown clips of the surveillance video footage. In the clip referred to as

“Channel 2, No. 2745,” he identified defendant and Boykin, both of whom he also identified in

court, as well as Robinson and Howze, as they entered the barbershop. In the clip referred to as

                                               -6-
No. 1-21-0286

“Channel 2, No. 5903,” Sebek identified the four men walking out of the barbershop and Robinson

running on the sidewalk. Sebek also identified defendant, Boykin, Howze, and Robinson in the

video clip referred to as “Channel 1, No. 0002.”

¶ 20   Siska, who identified defendant, Boykin, Howze, and Robinson in court, testified that on

the night in question, he was on patrol with Sebek and Murdoch. As he was driving eastbound on

103rd Street around 7 p.m., he saw Robinson jogging on the sidewalk. Robinson looked in the

officers’ direction, abruptly turned into an alley, and started running faster. The officers followed

and told him to stop. Sebek exited the car and pursued Robinson on foot. At some point, Murdoch

exited the car as well. Siska drove through the alley, continued following Robinson and Sebek,

and saw them enter a barbershop. Siska also saw Howze, who said he believed he had been shot,

lying on the ground. Siska assisted Howze and then entered the barbershop, where Sebek had

Robinson in custody. When Siska exited the barbershop, he saw that Murdoch had Boykin in

custody.

¶ 21   The officers canvassed the area. Sebek recovered a handgun and Siska observed a second

handgun in the grass “right across the street from there and just a bit south.” In court, Siska viewed

surveillance footage in which he identified Howze lying on the ground and himself exiting his car.

He also identified photographs of the handgun he found in the grass.

¶ 22   On cross-examination by Boykin’s and Howze’s counsel, which was adopted by

defendant’s counsel, Sebek agreed that he did not know who placed the handgun on the grass or

when it was placed there.

¶ 23   Murdoch identified defendant, Boykin, Howze, and Robinson in court. He testified that

around 7 p.m. on the night in question, he was on patrol with Sebek and Siska when he saw

                                                -7-
No. 1-21-0286

Robinson running on 103rd Street with his hand in his hoodie pocket. Robinson looked in the

officers’ direction, turned into an alley, and increased his speed to a “full sprint.” The officers

followed him as he ran through the alley, along a cross street, and back toward 103rd. Two or three

men in that area, one of whom was Boykin, looked in the direction of Robinson and the police and

started running as well.

¶ 24   When the men split up, Murdoch exited the car and chased Boykin. After Murdoch caught

up with Boykin in a nearby back yard, he placed him into custody and returned to 103rd Street.

There, he saw Howze, who was lying on the ground and stating he had been shot. After “medical

aid showed up,” Murdoch and the other officers noticed shell casings littering the sidewalk and

surveillance cameras installed on a commercial building on the block. A responding sergeant

contacted the building’s manager and arranged for the police to view “all the videos.” In court,

Murdoch viewed clips of the video footage. He identified defendant, Boykin, Howze, and

Robinson in the footage.

¶ 25   Chicago police officer Donna Albrecht testified that on December 23, 2018, she responded

to a call of an elderly woman who found a firearm in her backyard on the 10300 block of South

Church Street. The woman directed Albrecht to the bottom of her back steps, where she pointed

out a Springfield handgun and, about a foot away, a magazine. Albrecht recovered the items and

inventoried them.

¶ 26   Chicago police detective Nathan Poole testified that he and his partner, Detective King,

were assigned to investigate the shooting. At the scene, Poole directed an evidence technician to

take photographs and collect evidence. In court, he viewed a number of those photographs and

identified a gray Infiniti SUV parked on the 1400 block of 103rd Street, a shattered glass door on

                                               -8-
No. 1-21-0286

a building across the street from the barbershop, and an apparent bullet strike to the front window

and window frame on another building across the street from the barbershop.

¶ 27     The next day, Poole spoke with defendant, Boykin, and Robinson at the police station. The

conversations were electronically recorded, and the videos of defendant and Boykin were played

in court.

¶ 28     On cross-examination by Boykin’s and Howze’s counsel, which was adopted by

defendant’s counsel, Poole testified that when he canvassed the scene, a person provided him with

a description of the vehicle that “was involved in the drive-by,” as well as a description of the two

men who “jumped out” of that vehicle. The person said that “the subject that exited the vehicle

engaged in a gun battle with the subjects that [were] on the sidewalk.” Poole agreed that defendant

told him Boykin was at the barbershop getting a haircut, that there was some type of a celebration

going on at the barbershop, and that he and his group “were shot upon.” Poole further agreed that

Boykin told him he had gotten his hair cut at the barbershop, that a car pulled up, and that a “dude

jumped out of the car on the street and started shooting up on him and the other people that he was

with.”

¶ 29     The parties stipulated that if called as a witness, an evidence technician who was assigned

to process the scene would have testified that among the items found were 69 fired cartridge cases,

three fired bullets, five metal fragments, a Glock 30S .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and a

Glock 20S 10-millimeter semiautomatic handgun. The parties further stipulated that an expert in

firearm analysis would have testified that he conducted firearm comparison analysis on the

recovered items. He determined that 14 cartridge cases were fired from the Glock 30S, 10 fired

cartridge cases were fired from the Glock 20S, 29 cartridge cases were fired from the Springfield

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No. 1-21-0286

Armory 9mm, 34 cartridge cases were fired from three unknown firearms, and the firearm origin

could not be determined for the rest. The firearm origin could not be determined for four bullets,

but two were not fired from the Glock 30S and one was not fired from the Glock 20S. The parties

stipulated that no fingerprints were found on the three recovered handguns.

¶ 30   The parties stipulated that if called as a witness, an expert in trace chemistry would have

testified that defendant, Boykin, and Robinson tested positive for gunshot residue. She concluded

that defendant discharged a firearm, contacted a particle gunshot residue-related item, or had both

his hands in the environment of a discharged firearm; Boykin discharged a firearm, contacted a

particle gunshot residue-related item, or had his right hand in the environment of a discharged

firearm; and Robinson contacted a particle gunshot residue-related item or had his left hand in the

environment of a discharged firearm. The parties further stipulated that none of the four defendants

had ever been issued a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card or concealed carry license.

¶ 31   The State entered evidence “a certified copy of vehicle records for that vehicle which is the

2018 Infiniti that was outside of the car that these defendants got out of.” The State also entered

evidence certified copies of conviction for defendant under “case number 17 CR 0107702” and

“17 CR 0646901.”

¶ 32   Defendant made a motion for a directed finding. The circuit court granted the motion as to

counts VI and VII, which charged UUWF and alleged he was on parole or mandatory supervised

release at the time of the offense, and counts X and XIII, which charged AUUW and alleged he

was under 21 years old at the time of the offense.

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No. 1-21-0286

¶ 33   Boykin testified that on the evening in question, he drove to the barbershop with defendant,

Howze, and Robinson to get his hair cut. He parked his car, an Infiniti, just west of the barbershop.

He did not have a firearm and did not see a firearm on any of his friends.

¶ 34   While Boykin was getting his hair cut, a woman was promoting a clothing line as part of a

Christmas event at the barbershop. Boykin’s friends bought some clothing, and the woman posted

their photos on Instagram and tagged the barbershop’s address. Shortly thereafter, the woman

showed Boykin and the barber a direct message she had received via Instagram, which stated,

“[G]et them out the barbershop. We are going to kill you. We coming.” The message was sent by

a man Boykin knew as “Savage.” Boykin testified that when he saw the message, he was scared

and feared for his life because he knew “Savage” was dangerous.

¶ 35   The barber, who was panicking, told Boykin that he and his friends had to leave because

he did not want his own life or the lives of the other people in the barbershop to be in danger.

Boykin testified that a man he knew from the neighborhood, John Hampton, was present, and it

was Hampton and his friends that supplied weapons to Boykins and his group. As Boykin,

defendant, Howze, and Robinson walked out of the barbershop, Boykin hit the “lock” button on

his car key fob, as he was planning to get in the car and drive away. An SUV with its lights off

pulled up and stopped. Two men dressed all in black exited the SUV, pointed firearms at Boykin

and his friends, and started shooting. In response, Boykin and his group returned fire. After the

exchange of gunfire, the SUV left the scene.

¶ 36   On cross-examination, Boykin admitted that he was depicted discharging a firearm in the

video. He agreed that he did not tell the detective who interviewed him that he had been threatened

or that someone had given him a firearm. He also agreed he did not call the police before he left

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No. 1-21-0286

the barbershop. When asked about the timing of his producing a firearm, he stated, “When he,

when they came and got out and fired shots, that’s when I upped the gun.” Boykin agreed that he

shot from the sidewalk, moved into the middle of the street, aimed the firearm, and fired more

shots.

¶ 37     On redirect, Boykin testified that when he spoke with the detective, he did not want to get

anyone in trouble, including Hampton.

¶ 38     Defendant testified that on the day in question, Boykin drove him, Howze, and Robinson

to the barbershop. He did not have a weapon with him and, to the best of his knowledge, none of

his friends did either. Before defendant could get his hair cut, Boykin “rushed to the back in a

panic,” stating that someone sent a direct message to “the clothing lady” with a threat that he was

coming to kill them, and that the barber said they had to leave the barbershop. As defendant and

his friends were walking out the door, an “older guy and his friends,” whom defendant had seen

in the barbershop before and who were “[k]ind of gang ish like,” gave them weapons. Because he

was in fear for his life and was afraid he was going to be killed, defendant took a weapon and put

it in his waistband.

¶ 39     Defendant exited the barbershop. After taking two to three steps toward Boykin’s car, with

the intention of leaving the neighborhood, he “got shot.” The shots were coming from a gray SUV

that was “straight ahead.” He did not know how many shots were fired at him but described it as

“a lot.” After being shot, defendant drew his weapon and fired in the direction of the gray SUV,

then tried to take cover. He left the area of the barbershop, called his sister to come pick him up,

and threw his weapon onto a roof. Defendant’s sister drove him to the hospital, where he was

                                               - 12 -
No. 1-21-0286

arrested. He told the police he knew nothing about the shooting because he “didn’t want nobody

getting in trouble.”

¶ 40    On cross-examination, defendant stated that the “old dude” who gave him the weapon was

named John, but he did not know John’s last name. He also stated that he did not know who it was

that threatened him. He agreed that when he found out about the threat, he did not call the police.

He also did not tell the detectives who interviewed him that he had been threatened. He clarified

that the person he did not want to get in trouble was himself. Finally, he stated that he did not know

how many times he fired his weapon and that he tried to take cover toward the front of a “little

car.”

¶ 41    On redirect, defendant agreed that the reason he fired his weapon in the direction of the

people who shot him was because he did not want to be shot again.

¶ 42    Following closing arguments, the circuit court found defendant guilty of AHC and reckless

discharge of a firearm. It also found him guilty of “possession of a gun” but stated that the firearm

possession charges merged into the AHC charge. 1 In the course of announcing its decision, the

court stated as follows:

                “I watched the video. I watched it carefully. It did not appear to me that the way

        that the defendants who were firing guns were unfamiliar with the guns that they had

        possession of, that [they] didn’t know they were loaded or how they had to fire or what

        they had to do to work them, they appeared aggressive, and they were after people.

        1
          Robinson was acquitted, and Boykin and Howze were found guilty of reckless discharge of a
firearm and AUUW.

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No. 1-21-0286

                And it’s possible that you can have two groups of people, totally unrelated to each

       other that have—when I say unrelated to each other, totally on their own missions and they

       can both be aggressive and looking to do harm.

                It’s not that one of them has to be acting in self-defense and it’s the question of

       which happened first, they can both be aggressive, and they can both be looking to do

       damage and to create havoc and that’s what I believe happened.

                I reject the suggestions that they were just given guns at the last moment because

       the way they came out of the barbershop quickly pulling the guns, using them aggressively,

       walking towards trouble, not away from trouble, firing multiple, multiple shots with guns

       that supposedly they only had in their possession for less than a minutes [sic] beforehand,

       they knew exactly what they were doing and I reject that part of the case.”

¶ 43   Defendant filed a motion for a new trial, arguing, in relevant part, that the circuit court

erred in failing to find him not guilty “by way of self-defense or necessity.” The court denied the

motion following a hearing. In rejecting the claim of self-defense or necessity, it stated as follows:

                “These are the identical arguments that you stated during the trial. You can’t have

       a situation where—the law is not going to provide for a situation where people get into

       social media quarrels and then feel that they have a right to arm themselves and go out and

       start shooting indiscriminately in the street putting the entire public at risk because

       somebody said something on social media.

                In this case, I do see that [defendant] was shot when people were shooting back and

       forth. The defendant walked out of a barber shop with a gun at his waist and immediately

       pulled it out and started shooting. Somebody shot, like, a tenth of a second before or after.

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No. 1-21-0286

       To me, it was like two groups of predators looking for each other and shooting at the same

       time. I don’t see that one was a victim in that there was not even time to think about self-

       defense. This was offensive activities by both sides and it was not a self-defense situation

       at all to me and certainly not a necessity situation. Because somebody said something on

       social media doesn’t give you the right to go out on the street with guns at the ready,

       especially like they were here when they were used.”

¶ 44   The circuit court subsequently sentenced defendant to concurrent terms of six years in

prison for AHC and three years for reckless discharge of a firearm.

¶ 45                                       II. ANALYSIS

¶ 46   On appeal, defendant challenges only his conviction for reckless discharge of a firearm,

contending that the State failed to disprove that he acted in self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.

¶ 47   When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence, the relevant inquiry is whether, after

viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could

have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia,

443 U.S. 307, 318-19 (1979). All reasonable inferences from the evidence must be drawn in favor

of the prosecution. People v. Hardman, 2017 IL 121453, ¶ 37. The credibility of the witnesses, the

weight to be given their testimony, and the resolution of any conflicts in the evidence are within

the province of the trier of fact, and a reviewing court will not substitute its judgment for that of

the trier of fact on these matters. People v. Brooks, 187 Ill. 2d 91, 132 (1999). Reversal is justified

only where the evidence is “so unsatisfactory, improbable or implausible” that it raises a

reasonable doubt as to the defendant’s guilt. People v. Slim, 127 Ill. 2d 302, 307 (1989).

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No. 1-21-0286

¶ 48    Reckless discharge of a firearm occurs when a person discharges a firearm “in a reckless

manner which endangers the bodily safety of an individual.” 720 ILCS 5/24-1.5(a) (West 2018).

Defendant does not dispute that the State proved the elements of reckless discharge of a firearm

beyond a reasonable doubt. Rather, he maintains that he committed this crime in self-defense. 2

¶ 49    To raise self-defense, a defendant must provide some evidence that (1) unlawful force was

threatened against him; (2) he was not the aggressor; (3) the danger of harm was imminent; (4) his

use of force was necessary; (5) he actually and subjectively believed danger existed which

necessitated the use of the force applied; and (6) his beliefs were objectively reasonable. 720 ILCS

5/7-1 (West 2018); People v. Lee, 213 Ill. 2d 218, 225 (2004). Once a defendant meets this burden,

the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act in self-defense. Lee,

213 Ill. 2d at 224. The State carries this burden if it negates any one of the elements of self-defense

beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. at 225.

¶ 50    Here, the circuit court found that the State negated the second element of self-defense,

namely, that defendant was not the aggressor. Specifically, the court found that both groups of

shooters were “aggressive and looking to do harm,” explaining, “It’s not that one of them has to

be acting in self-defense and it’s the question of which happened first, they can both be aggressive

and they can both be looking to do damage and to create havoc and that’s what I believe happened.”

The court further explained its finding when denying defendant’s posttrial motion, stating, “[I]t

        2
           For the purposes of this appeal, we assume without deciding that self-defense may be asserted as
an affirmative defense to the crime of reckless discharge of a firearm. See U.S. v. Rice, 673 F.3d 537, 542
(7th Cir. 2012) (finding that the defendant “did not act in self-defense under Illinois law when he committed
the crimes of aggravated and reckless discharge of a firearm”); People v. Niles, 2021 IL App (1st) 181159-
U, ¶ 38 (noting, “even assuming that self-defense or defense of others is a valid defense to reckless
discharge,” that the circuit court rejected the defendant’s defense-of-others theory); Ill. S. Ct. R. 23(e)(1)
(eff. Feb. 1, 2023) (nonprecedential Appellate Court orders entered on or after January 1, 2021, may be
cited for persuasive purposes).

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No. 1-21-0286

was like two groups of predators looking for each other and shooting at the same time. I don’t see

that one was a victim in that there was not even time to think about self-defense. This was offensive

activities by both sides, and it was not a self-defense situation at all[.]”

¶ 51    Defendant challenges the circuit court’s finding that he was “aggressive” due to his

apparent familiarity with firearms, arguing that even if he was acquainted with firearms, that does

not negate the evidence showing that his life was in danger, or that he was entitled to defend

himself. He also challenges the court’s statement that he and his friends were “walking towards

trouble, not away from trouble.” He asserts that they were approaching Boykin’s car in an attempt

“to flee the impending danger but were intercepted by it before they could escape.” Defendant

maintains that “[f]aced with no other choice and having been ejected from shelter,” he was forced

to defend himself.

¶ 52    Defendant maintains that the surveillance video footage corroborates his and Boykin’s

testimony that they only fired their weapons after being threatened and after he was shot.

Specifically, he asserts that “a careful viewing of the video shows that [he] and his friends only

returned fire after the van stopped and two of its occupants got out and opened fire.” As such, he

argues that the video evidence supports his testimony that he was in fear for his life based on a

credible threat and that he had a justifiable reason to defend himself against imminent danger posed

by “Savage” and the two men who shot at him. Finally, he argues that “[a]dditional support for

self-defense is that the only two people injured in this incident were Howze and [himself].”

¶ 53    After carefully reviewing the surveillance videos and considering all the evidence in the

light most favorable to the prosecution, we find that a rational trier of fact could have determined

that the State negated the self-defense proposition that defendant was not the aggressor. The video

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footage from the two surveillance cameras reveals that the SUV stopped in the street during the

same exact second—“20:00:45”—that defendant, Boykin, and Howze raised their weapons and

aimed them in the SUV’s direction. This was prior to anyone from the SUV displaying a firearm.

The footage further reveals that during the following two seconds, the SUV’s doors opened, at

least one man fired one shot from the driver’s side of the SUV, and defendant and Boykin fired

multiple shots.

¶ 54    We agree with the circuit court that there were “offensive activities by both sides and it

was not a self-defense situation at all.” Rather, the surveillance videos depict a mutual combat

situation, where both groups fired at each other willingly and upon equal terms. Self-defense is not

available as an affirmative defense in such circumstances. People v. White, 293 Ill. App. 3d 335,

338 (1997); see also People v. Grayson, 321 Ill. App. 3d 397, 402-03 (2001) (finding self-defense

disproved where evidence indicated the defendant “instigated the entire incident or mutually

entered into it”).

¶ 55    We are mindful of defendant’s trial testimony that, on his way out of the barbershop, he

accepted a weapon from “John” because he was in fear for his life, and that he did not remove that

weapon from his waistband until after being shot two to three steps from the barbershop door, at

which time he fired back because he did not want to be shot again. However, the video footage

contradicts defendant’s testimony that he had taken only two to three steps from the barbershop

door when he was shot. Both “Channel 1, No. 0002” and “Channel 2, No. 5903” depict defendant

exiting the barbershop at “20:00:26” and then walking uninjured for at least 19 seconds before he

begins to react to the SUV stopping in the street at “20:00:45.” It is not clear from the videos when,

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No. 1-21-0286

after that point, a bullet strikes defendant’s leg, but it does appear that he takes about 30 unhindered

steps along the sidewalk prior to the SUV stopping or any shooting taking place.

¶ 56    Moreover, the trier of fact is not required to accept as true a defendant’s testimony

regarding an incident and the need for self-defense. People v. Murillo, 225 Ill. App. 3d 286, 292

(1992). Instead, the trier of fact “must consider the probability or improbability of the testimony,

the surrounding circumstances, and the testimony of other witnesses.” In re Jessica M., 399 Ill.

App. 3d 730, 737 (2010). Here, the circuit court specifically rejected defendant’s and Boykin’s

testimony that they only came into possession of firearms as they exited the barbershop. This was

the court’s prerogative in its role as the trier of fact (People v. Moody, 2016 IL App (1st) 130071,

¶ 52) and we will not substitute our judgment for that of the court on questions of credibility

(Brooks, 187 Ill. 2d at 132).

¶ 57    Finally, we note that following the shooting, defendant took several actions that evidenced

a consciousness of guilt and were inconsistent with having acted in self-defense. First, he fled the

scene and attempted to avoid the police. See People v. Brown, 2012 IL App (2d) 110640, ¶ 19.

Second, he discarded his firearm. See People v. Harmon, 2015 IL App (1st) 122345, ¶ 59; People

v. Seiber, 76 Ill. App. 3d 9, 13-14 (1979). Third, despite having the opportunity to explain the

circumstances of his use of force and claim self-defense, he lied to the police and made a false

exculpatory statement denying having been armed or discharged a firearm. See People v. Shaw,

278 Ill. App. 3d 939, 951 (1996). Evidence of consciousness of guilt tends to refute a defendant’s

theory of self-defense. See People v. Lester, 102 Ill. App. 3d 761, 767 (1981).

¶ 58    We agree with the circuit court’s conclusion that the State proved beyond a reasonable

doubt that defendant did not act in self-defense where he engaged in mutual combat. As such, we

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find that the evidence supporting defendant’s conviction for reckless discharge of a firearm was

not “so unsatisfactory, improbable or implausible” that it raises a reasonable doubt as to the

defendant’s guilt. Slim, 127 Ill. 2d 302, 307 (1989). Accordingly, defendant’s challenge to the

sufficiency of the evidence fails.

¶ 59   For the reasons explained above, we affirm the judgment of the circuit court.

¶ 60   Affirmed.

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