People v. LaGrone CA1/5

BACKGROUND

A.

The trouble started when two teenagers, S. and T., got into a fight at school.1 S.’s mother, Shay, was like a sister to LaGrone. LaGrone met Shay and S. at a park after he learned that S. had been in a fight and Shay was upset. Shay had a plan to go to T.’s home. On the way to T.’s, LaGrone observed S. remove her sweatshirt, which he took to mean she was prepared to fight.

S., Shay, and LaGrone arrived at T.’s family’s apartment in a group of six to eight people, one of whom was a 16-year-old named Freddy. S. banged on the door to the apartment and slammed the security gate; Shay threw a bottle at the apartment. They demanded that T. come out for “round two.”

Eventually, two individuals – a teenager named D.J. and an adult named Jermell – emerged from the apartment. D.J., who was about 5’6” tall and 130 pounds, began to fight Freddy, who was about 6’3” tall and 300 pounds. Jermell stood to the side, but took on a fighting stance. LaGrone, who also stood to the side, said that they should keep the fight fair. LaGrone subsequently took his pocketknife – which he carried for his work – off his belt and held it in his hand. Another adult, Wayne, exited the apartment…