Court Opinion

ID: 9659641
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 21:51:19.067481+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:10.280747
License: Public Domain

ON MOTIONS FOR REHEARING
In this opinion we address only the continued insistence by appellant, City of San Antonio, that the trial court erred in refusing to submit an issue inquiring whether the police officer, Detective Tackett, was justified in using force under section 9.51 of the Penal Code. The portion of the opinion discussing this contention is subject to being interpreted as asserting that City failed to request an issue submitting this affirmative defense. As so interpreted, the opinion does not correctly reflect that which is shown by the record. The intention was to point out that the City had failed to request an issue in substantially correct form. While an issue was requested, it was not in substantially correct form.
The issue requested inquired whether the officer “believed that deadly force was immediately necessary to make or assist in making an arrest or search...”. The provisions of section 9.51 authorizing the use of deadly force provide that an officer is justified in using deadly force if he reasonably believes the “deadly force is immediately necessary to make an arrest or to prevent escape after arrest” if the officer reasonably believes that the conduct for which arrest is authorized included the use or attempted use of deadly force, or reasonably believes that there is a substantial risk that the person to be arrested will cause death or serious bodily injury to others if the arrest is delayed.
There is no provision in section 9.51 authorizing the use of deadly force in order to assist in the making of a search. Under section 9.51, an officer is permitted to use force to the extent that he believes the use of force is necessary to make an arrest or search. The issue requested by City would leave the jury to believe that the use of deadly force was justified if the officer believed that deadly force was necessary “to make or assist in the making of an arrest or search.” Insofar as the re*689quested instruction authorized the jury to find that the use of deadly force was authorized when necessary to make or assist in making a search it was clearly erroneous and was properly refused.
The motions for rehearing are overruled.