People v. James CA3

BACKGROUND

Defendant’s sister and brother, C.J. and A.J. respectively, were in C.J.’s apartment one evening, along with C.J.’s boyfriend and daughter. Defendant had lived at the apartment, but moved out to stay with Henderson, whom she was dating. Some of defendant’s possessions, including a rice cooker, were still at the apartment. C.J. and defendant had recently argued, and defendant had threatened to “beat [C.J.] up.” While C.J. was in the shower, defendant knocked on the apartment door. C.J. did not want to let her in the apartment, but decided she was there to pick up the rice cooker, so C.J. got out of the shower to give it to her. A.J. opened the door and defendant rushed into the apartment, grabbed the rice cooker, and confronted C.J. She challenged C.J., asking if she wanted to fight, but C.J. refused. Defendant then pulled out a handgun, pointed it at C.J., and started “waving it around.” A.J. put his hand on defendant’s shoulder and told her to calm down. Henderson then came into the room with a “compact assault rifle,” pointed it at A.J., and said, “get your hands off my bitch.” A.J. raised his hands in the air and said defendant was his sister, and Henderson replied,…