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THE USE OF PEPPER SPRAY BY JAIL PERSONNEL (AFTER A WARNING) WHEN DEFENDANT REFUSED TO TAKE OFF HIS SHOES WAS NOT “EXCESSIVE FORCE;” THEREFORE DEFENDANT, WHO ASSAULTED THE OFFICER FIVE SECONDS AFTER HE WAS SPRAYED, WAS NOT ENTITLED TO A JURY INSTRUCTION ON THE JUSTIFICATION DEFENSE IN HIS ASSAULT TRIAL (CT APP). ​

The Court of Appeals, reversing the appellate division, determined there was no reasonable view of the evidence which would support a jury instruction on the justification defense. At the jail, the defendant was ordered to take off his shoes. When he refused, after being warned, he was sprayed in the face with pepper spray. Five seconds after he was sprayed, defendant charged the officer and punched him in the head:

The Appellate Division concluded that, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to defendant, there was a “reasonable view of the evidence that the use of the pepper spray constituted excessive force in this scenario” … . …

… [T]here is no reasonable view of the evidence that the sergeant’s use of pepper spray was excessive or otherwise unlawful. The trial evidence was that defendant was given a lawful command to remove his footwear, that he was given that verbal command several times yet persisted in his refusal, and that he was specifically warned that he would be pepper sprayed if he did not comply. The officers further testified that the use of pepper spray was considered a “minimal” use of force compared to using “hands on” force to remove the footwear. People v Heiserman, 2022 NY Slip Op 07024, CtApp 12-12-22

Practice Point: Jail personnel ordered defendant to take off his shoes. He refused and continued to refuse after he was warned he would be pepper-sprayed. Hw assaulted the officer five seconds after being sprayed. The Court of Appeals, reversing the appellate division, determined the use of pepper spray was not excessive force and the defendant was not entitled to a jury instruction on the justification defense.

 

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