Gatlin v. United States
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
833 A.2d 995 (2003)
Reporter Ferrechio was hit, kicked, and had a notebook taken from her by school principal Anigbo and teacher Gatlin (defendants) while reporting at a charter school; when Ferrechio later returned with another reporter and a photographer, along with police officers investigating the earlier incident, Anigbo and Gatlin attacked the photographer and reporters and pushed the officers during the ensuing altercation. At trial, Anigbo claimed the notebook was hers and she used force to reclaim it, but the trial court found the notebook did not actually belong to her, denied a defense-of-property jury instruction, and convicted both defendants of multiple counts of assault.
Whether reasonable force to protect one's property from trespass or theft is justified where there is a reasonable belief the property faces imminent unlawful interference and that force is necessary to prevent it.