Court Opinion

ID: 9725001
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 11:24:34.569234+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:08.870850
License: Public Domain

Concurring Opinion
Myers, J.
I concur in the opinion as written by Judge Arterburn, but have this to add in regard to the error charged by appellant in overruling the motion to suppress the evidence because of illegal search and seizure.
In my opinion, the police officer was properly on the premises without a search warrant when he saw the murdered man. He was the first witness to testify for the State. He said that on the morning of January 23, 1962, at approximately 9:00 a.m., he was on duty and had a call that an accident had taken place; that he went to 1311 Mary Street, *465in Evansville, but did not find any accident; that he was told to go upstairs; that he went upstairs and smelled smoke and saw a man lying in bed who was apparently dead; that there were two firemen there; that the dead man had been beaten and shot and blood covered him; that the smoke in the place was from a smoldering divan.
From what we can gather from the officer’s testimony, it is not certain that he approached the premises with the idea that a homicide had been committed. He was only informed that an “accident” had taken place. Upon arrival, he said he found no “accident,” but when “told to go upstairs,” there was smoke and firemen present. This is when he saw the decedent on the bed. Under these circumstances, did the police officer have a right to be on the premises and thereafter make a search of the room where the deceased was lying? In my opinion, the smoke coming from the building was an emergency and could have been a major crisis which confronted the officer. Indications that there was a fire did not give him opportunity to first apply to a magistrate for authorization to enter the building. In the line of duty, he was obliged to take immediate action which brought him inside the premises without violating constitutional guaranties. Unavoidable crisis is an established exception to invading a home without a warrant. District of Columbia, v. Little (1949), App. D. C., 178 F. 2d 13, 13 A. L. R. 2d 954, 962. Thereafter when he discovered the murdered body, his search of the room was lawful.
Note. — Reported in 217 N. E. 2d 147.