Court Opinion

ID: 9653362
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 17:45:02.761591+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:58.213599
License: Public Domain

PREWITT, Judge,
dissenting.
I believe that the trial court was justified in ruling that the search and seizure in this case was proper and that in our review we should not make a contrary finding based on inference. There was no direct testimony that the officers were not acting in good faith in locating and seizing the pistol. During the cross-examination of agent James W. Eapmon at the hearing on the motion to suppress, the following occurred:
“Q. Now, under oath, Jim, you were trying to find that 25 caliber weapon, is that true?
A. Under oath, I was trying to find drugs or money, and if I found the gun I would definitely check it out.”
The seizure could be justified on either of two grounds: (1) In searching for money or drugs, as the search warrant authorized, when the pistol came into view during the search, or (2) in the officers securing their *515safety while making a lawful arrest and search, when they had reason to suspect that an assault could be made upon them. There was evidence that indicated that the officers were in the process of doing both.
While .the agents were told that Mrs. Kelsey was gone, they did not know this; and in the intervening time since they were told, they had left and she might have returned. She usually was upstairs and she had told them that “she could damn well outshoot any man in the area and would shoot anybody coming into her home uninvited.” The agents felt this statement would include them. Obviously they were uninvited at this time, and they knew that this weapon and another could be in the house. The number of law enforcement personnel in the house might not prevent a rash use of such a weapon, even without hope of escape. The agent who found the pistol stated that he was looking for money or drugs as well as attempting to secure the area. He found and seized the pistol in evidence and a “38” revolver. Both were loaded. The holdings of numerous cases support the agents’ action. A police officer, even without a warrant, may make an examination of the premises to insure his safety against attack while effectuating an arrest. State v. Dayton, 535 S.W.2d 479 (Mo.App.1976). Also see State v. Vineyard, 497 S.W.2d 821 (Mo.App.1973), and State v. Toliver, 487 P.2d 264 (Wash.App.1971). An officer has the right to seize any weapons which may be used as an assault upon the officer. Preston v. United States, 376 U.S. 364, 84 S.Ct. 881, 11 L.Ed.2d 777 (1964).
The reasonableness of a search and seizure must be decided in each case depending upon its facts. Lewis v. United States, 385 U.S. 206, 87 S.Ct. 424, 17 L.Ed.2d 312 (1966). In Terry v. State of Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968), the court stated that the test for determining the reasonableness of a search is to balance the need to search or seize against the invasion which the search or seizure entails. The opinion notes that . .it would be unreasonable to require that police officers take unnecessary risks in the performance of their duties.” 392 U.S. at 23, 88 S.Ct. at 1881. I believe that the actions here were reasonable and we should not attribute improper motives to the officers where there was no direct evidence of such. The officers knew that there were one or more weapons in the home. They knew that a threat had been made to use them and that one of the weapons perhaps had been used in a murder. They should not have to leave a loaded pistol on the premises while making a lawful arrest and executing a valid search warrant. Having found the pistols and determined that no one else was upstairs, they had secured the area and bad faith cannot be conclusively shown by the fact that they did not search further.
The law in this area has usually been mandated by United States Supreme Court decisions. A situation similar to the present occurred in Abel v. United States of America, 362 U.S. 217, 80 S.Ct. 683, 4 L.Ed.2d 668 (1960). It involved a claim that one government agency improperly assisted another in securing evidence. There the F.B.I. suspected Abel of espionage but didn’t have sufficient evidence to justify his arrest and indictment. They informed the Immigration and Naturalization Service that they believed Abel to be an illegal alien and received its cooperation. The F.B.I. and immigration officials went to Abel’s hotel. The F.B.I. agents knocked on the door to his room and when Abel released the catch, walked in. The immigration authorities remained in an adjoining room, which the F.B.I. had been occupying in its investigation. When Abel did not “cooperate” regarding the espionage, a signal was given to the immigration agents who then came into the room and arrested Abel on an administrative warrant. They did not have a search warrant. Four immigration agents then undertook a 15 to 20 minute search of defendant’s person, belongings and an adjoining bathroom. No consent was sought nor given to the search. The F.B.I. agents observed the search but took no part. Evidence was seized and used in prosecuting the espionage charge being investigated by the F.B.I. The supreme court held that the determination of “good *516faith” on the part of the officers was for the district judge and affirmed his finding that the evidence should not be suppressed. Nothing improper was found in the cooperation between the governmental agencies. Although no weapons were found, the court stated that a search for weapons is justified for officers to protect themselves. The opinion also says that items used to commit a crime may be seized when discovered in the course of a lawful search and that when an article properly comes into an officer’s possession “it would be entirely without reason to say that he must return it because it was not one of the things it was his business to look for.” 362 U.S. at 238, 80 S.Ct. at 697.
The good faith of the officers in this case was no more suspect than in Abel. The officers denied that they entered the premises just to get the pistol. Had they found drugs or marked money where they found the pistol, it would have been proper to seize them. Having seen the pistol in their search, they were entitled to seize it. They testified it was normal practice to turn over such weapons to local authorities and did so turn over both pistols. While we may speculate that the motives of the federal agents went beyond their authority, that should be a determination for the trial judge. He saw and heard the witnesses and we should give deference to his ruling. There was evidence to support his determination that the search and seizure were proper and I believe we should not find that ruling to be erroneous.