Court Opinion

ID: 9715050
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 05:53:15.885482+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:31.009037
License: Public Domain

DeBRULER, Justice,
dissenting.
This is a case which should be entrusted to a jury. Summary judgment practice was never intended to warrant the type of fine-line decision-making which is evident in the majority opinion. As correctly acknowledged, the question here is not whether Heroy, appellant's insured, deliberately and intentionally fired the shots from his gun which injured Mr. Herman, but is instead whether, while so firing his gun, Heroy had the actual intent to injure someone. Home Ins. Co. v. Neilsen (1975), 165 Ind.App. 445, 882 N.E.2d 240. There is evidence that the first shot which Heroy fired from his porch in the direction of the crowd was in the air, thereby evidencing an intent to scare or frighten. Within moments, he pursued the fleeing persons and continued firing, striking Mr. Herman. The direct evidence of Heroy's state of mind is comprised of two conflicting statements: "I intended to hurt someone, I guess, if I emptied the pistol," and "I don't know what I intended. Everything went so fast." Surely, with this evidence and the reasonable inferences which it permits of Heroy's state of mind before it, the majority of this Court selects between competing permissible inferences, namely, (1) that after leaving the porch, appellant formed a new intent which was to injure someone, and (2) that after leaving the porch the intent to only seare or frighten continued. Heroy's state of mind after leaving the porch is a material fact about which there is a genuine issue which should be resolved by a trier of fact. The trial court was therefore correct in denying summary judgment and should be affirmed.
DICKSON, J., concurs.