People v. Brown CA2/5

FACTS

Prosecution

On May 26, 2014, Princeton Pearson and Damian Neal were working as security guards at an apartment complex. At approximately 12:30 a.m., defendant came to the gate and told the guards he was there to visit his brother. As a policy, nonresidents were not admitted after 10:00 p.m., but the guards allowed defendant into the complex. Defendant went to a nearby apartment and banged on the door for several minutes. When no one answered, defendant walked past the guards to a second unit. Pearson approached him and said, “I thought you were going to your brother’s house.” Defendant asked the security guards if they lived in the complex, to which they responded they did not. Defendant then said something like “Fuck you,” “Shut the fuck up,” or “Fuck you. You don’t live here.” He gave Neal “the finger.” Defendant knocked on the door of the second apartment for about five minutes. Both guards politely asked him to leave. Defendant kept saying “fuck you.” His speech was slurred and he appeared intoxicated. Defendant continued to knock on the door, so Pearson called the police on his cell phone. Defendant pulled out a pocketknife and pointed it toward Neal, who was about…