State v. Ellis

OPINION

BOSSON, Justice.

{1} During a routine traffic stop, Defendant Robert Ellis threatened Eddy County Sheriffs Deputy Ruben Castro with a tire iron, for which he was charged and convicted of aggravated assault on a peace officer, a felony. At trial, Defendant claimed that he acted in self-defense against the deputy’s alleged use of excessive force, and the jury was so instructed, though imperfectly. At the heart of this case lies Defendant’s claim that he was entitled to a self-defense instruction, and the related issue of whether any jury reasonably could have found Deputy Castro’s use of…