Court Opinion

ID: 9585653
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:02:33.393658+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:21:47.768947
License: Public Domain

Justice EXUM
dissenting.
I respectfully disagree with with the majority’s conclusion that defendant’s motion to dismiss all charges at the close of all the evidence should have been denied. In my view all the evidence in the case offered by the state and the defendant demonstrates that defendant killed Robert “Buck” Eller in the exercise of a perfect right of self-defense.
*25To avoid this conclusion the majority appears to rely on the propositions: (1) there is some evidence that defendant was the aggressor in bringing on the affray with the deceased; and (2) the state, upon proof of an intentional shooting with a deadly weapon resulting in death, is entitled to rely on an inference of unlawfulness which itself suffices to survive defendant’s motion.
As to the first proposition, the majority does not specify what act defendant committed that would characterize him an aggressor in the affray. My study of the record fails to reveal such an act. Defendant’s conversation at the table where deceased was sitting could not have labeled him an aggressor. In order for language alone to make one who uses it an aggressor in the law of self-defense it must be “such abusive language ... as is calculated and intended to bring on a fight” considering all the circumstances surrounding the event. State v. Robinson, 213 N.C. 273, 280, 195 S.E. 824, 829 (1938); see also State v. Jennings, 276 N.C. 157, 171 S.E. 2d 447 (1970), later app., 279 N.C. 604, 184 S.E. 2d 254 (1971); and State v. Crisp, 170 N.C. 785, 87 S.E. 511 (1916). There is no evidence that any such language was used by defendant.
The majority seems to rely on the testimony of state’s witness Melvin Page as presenting some evidence that defendant drew his weapon first and was therefore the aggressor — a fact which, if established, would, I agree, deprive defendant of a perfect right of self-defense. Page’s testimony falls far short of being evidence that defendant drew his weapon first. He said:
“It wasn’t but a minute until Leroy Benton came to the table. He asked Mildred to speak to her and Mildred said he didn’t have nothing to tell her. He said I want to speak to you privately and Mildred said no. She said if you got anything to say to me, say it now. Robert Eller spoke up, said, this is a private table. Leroy Benton asked Robert what he had to do with it, and then asked Mildred who she was with. Paul DeLapp said that she was with him.
Then the shooting started, so when I looked up, when I saw Benton’s gun, I jumped up and Paul knocked me down. I heard a gun go off, Buck fell right beside me. Buck Eller raised back up and I crawled across over to the next table. When the shooting got over this girl came where I was and *26asked was I hurt. I said no and got up. When I started out, I saw Hayes laying on the floor. I didn’t see Benton at all.
On this occasion, I saw two guns. I saw Benton’s gun first and it was in his hand. I saw Mr. Eller’s gun in his hand when he was on the floor. I do not know how many shots were fired. I do not know who fired first. I do not know how many shots had been fired when I saw Mr. Eller fall to the floor. This is because the way everything was and everybody was running and hollering and going on, couldn’t nobody tell about the shots. I did not see Mr. Benton after the shooting, but I did see Mr. Eller after the shooting. He was laying out on the shoulder of the road.”
Thus Page saw neither weapon until the shooting had already begun. The clear import of his testimony is that after the shooting had begun he saw a gun in defendant’s hand and then a gun in the deceased’s hand. Thereafter he did not see the defendant but he did see the deceased lying on the shoulder of the road. He never testified, nor does his testimony permit a reasonable inference that defendant drew his gun first.
Thus I find no evidence of any act by defendant that would make him the aggressor in bringing on the affray with the deceased. The majority fails to point to any such act.
The state, of course, has offered evidence that defendant intentionally shot deceased with a deadly weapon. The majority concludes, therefore, that the state is entitled to rely on an inference of unlawfulness, i.e., the absence of self-defense, which is sufficient to take the case to the jury. Such an inference does not arise, or, if it arises, it is deemed rebutted as a matter of law “[w]hen the State’s evidence and that of the defendant are to the same effect and tend only to exculpate the defendant” on the ground of self-defense. State v. Johnson, 261 N.C. 727, 730, 136 S.E. 2d 84, 86 (1964); accord, State v. Carter, 254 N.C. 475, 119 S.E. 2d 461 (1961). Furthermore on a motion to dismiss at the close of all the evidence defendant’s evidence, to the extent that it does not conflict with or contradict but merely explains or clarifies that offered by the state, may be considered. These principles were stated in State v. Bruton, 264 N.C. 488, 499, 142 S.E. 2d 169, 176 (1965), as follows:
*27“On a motion to nonsuit, the defendant’s evidence which explains or makes clear the evidence of the State may be considered. Strong’s North Carolina Index, Vol. I, Criminal Law, § 99; S. v. Nall, 239 N.C. 60, 79 S.E. 2d 354; S. v. Smith, 237 N.C. 1, 74 S.E. 2d 291; S. v. Bryant, 235 N.C. 420, 70 S.E. 2d 186; S. v. Sears, 235 N.C. 623, 70 S.E. 2d 907.
On a motion for nonsuit, the foregoing rule also permits the consideration of defendant’s evidence which rebuts the inference of guilt when it is not inconsistent with the State’s evidence. S. v. Oldham, 224 N.C. 415, 30 S.E. 2d 318.”
And when the state’s “evidence of guilt is purely negative in character, positive and uncontradicted evidence in explanation which clearly rebuts the inference of guilt and is not inconsistent with the State’s evidence should be taken into consideration on motion to nonsuit.” State v. Oldham, 224 N.C. 415, 417, 30 S.E. 2d 318, 320 (1944).
In this case there is really no conflict in the evidence for the state and that for the defendant. All three of the state’s eyewitnesses testified that suddenly both defendant and the deceased had guns and were shooting at each other. The state’s evidence is largely negative in that none of its witnesses could say who drew his weapon first or who shot first.1 Defendant and four eyewitnesses testified unequivocally that the deceased first drew *28his weapon and fired it at defendant. Thereafter defendant returned the fire killing the deceased.2
*29The evidence for the state then is this: When the deceased was felled by defendant’s shot, both men were shooting at each other. The state offered no positive evidence as to who first drew a weapon or who fired first. Defendant’s evidence does not conflict with that of the state. Defendant’s evidence simply explains that facet of the affray upon which the state’s evidence is silent. It establishes that the deceased did indeed draw his weapon and begin shooting at defendant before defendant even drew his weapon.
Thus under the state’s evidence defendant was shown to have shot a man who was shooting at him. Unless defendant drew his weapon or shot first, defendant’s actions are clearly justified as being in self-defense. The state’s evidence is silent, or negative, on this point. Defendant’s evidence, not in conflict with that of the state, explains and clarifies this aspect of the case in defendant’s favor. Therefore, considering all the evidence properly cognizable on defendant’s motion to dismiss at the close of the case, I conclude this motion should have been allowed.
Justices BROCK and Carlton join in this dissent.

. Paul DeLapp testified:
“After they had words for about a minute or two, what happened then was that I saw Robert Eller, he got up and stood; he stood up. The next thing I knowed took place, the shooting was going on. Both Robert Eller and Benton was doing the shooting, both had a gun. I did not see where the guns came from.
I did not see who had a gun first. I sure didn’t. I do not know who fired the first shot. I had not seen either of the guns before the shooting started and I do not know how many shots were fired. I did not see either man reach for his pocket.”
Annabelle Ruff testified:
“After, they had words, I seen the guns and jumped up from the table. I seen two guns and Leroy and Robert Eller had them ....
I did not see either of these men get the guns out. I did not see who fired first. After I saw two guns, I jumped up from the table to get out of the way *28and I got hit in the leg with a bullet. I do not know who shot me and I have no idea how many shots were fired.”
Melvin Page’s testimony is summarized in the text.

. Dan Huley testified:
“I heard Buck tell him to go get back up and sit down where he was and Leroy, I guess, paid him no attention because he wasn’t talking to his friend anyway. So Buck said it again and again Leroy didn’t pay him no attention.
That’s when Buck jumped up. Leroy said, you don’t tell me what to do. Buck came out with his gun and started shooting. Leroy fell back down and pulled the table in front of him.
I did see where Buck got the gun he shot with and he got it out of his back pocket. At the time Buck shot his gun, Leroy pulled the table down in front of him. Prior to the time Buck shot his gun, Leroy was not doing nothing. He just straightened up and told Buck not to tell him what to do. The next thing that happened was that Buck pulled the gun out of his pocket and shot at Leroy.”
Mildred Littlejohn testified:
“Leroy had not done anything whatsoever to provoke Buck to shoot at him before Buck shot at him. I didn’t see that Leroy had any gun at the time when Buck shot at him.”
Robert Carter testified:
“Buck stood up and told them to get back from the table. He said that about twice and then he reached in his back pocket and told them to get back again.
Buck then shot twice. When Buck reached in his back pocket, he pulled out a gun. I think he shot Annabelle because she started hollering. I know Buck fired two shots. I was sitting right behind him. Leroy stooped down and started shooting too. My sister’s husband got hit by a bullet when he got up to help my sister. She got shot in the back of the foot first.
I did not see Leroy do anything at all to make Buck shoot the gun before Buck shot the two shots. The only thing I saw Leroy doing was talking to Mrs. Littlejohn. He was kind of squatted down beside her and Paul DeLapp.”
Nancy Lindsay testified:
“Buck fired the first shot. Leroy was not doing anything other than talking to Mrs. Littlejohn when Buck shot that shot. After Buck fired the shot, Leroy got up and started shooting too.
*29I am kin to Buck, he and my mother were first cousins. I did know Buck before that night. I did not know Leroy before, and I had saw him one or two times but never said no words to him.
I never saw Leroy do anything to Buck but talking to cause Buck to shoot at him before Buck shot at him. All Leroy said to him was ‘You don’t tell me what to do.’ ”