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("$     d((' dxdP Pd$$$$'dxd<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d++++7Border 1dd!#,C << G  !  #d#*      X \RA'\#d#     ""  *   YYY FILED*X June25,1998CecilCrowson,Jr.*AppellateCourtClerk   !#d#*      X \RA'\#d#      $       *ThewitnessesfortheStatetestifiedthatappellantstabbedthevictimwithascrewdriver.However,appellanttestifiedthathehitthevictimwithapieceofaluminum. 5 !#d#*      X \RA'\#d#      $       *Appellantexplainedthathehadbeeninstallingawindowairconditionerinhisbedroomthatdayandtherewereseverallongpiecesofaluminumonthegroundthathehadcutawayfromthewindowframe.PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ellan Geneva  ellan Geneva ! . *      X \RA'\#Xd##Xd#     !R-.,A1-j|` , `@Rߛ @ INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ ATKNOXVILLE@ JANUARY1998SESSIONSTATEOFTENNESSEE,   ) No.03C019702CR00069      ) Appellee    )       ) HAMILTONCOUNTYV.      )      ) HON.DOUGLASA.MEYER,THOMASEUGENELESTER,  ) JUDGE      ) Appellant.    ) (AggravatedAssault)      )      )FortheAppellant:     FortheAppellee:ArdenaJ.Garth     JohnKnoxWalkupDistrictPublicDefender    AttorneyGeneralandReporter       RichA.Heinsman,Jr.    ClintonJ.Morgan AssistantPublicDefender    AssistantAttorneyGeneral(Attrial)      425FifthAvenueNorth       Nashville,TN372430493DonnaR.MillerAssistantPublicDefender701CherryStreet,Suite301   WilliamH.Cox,III   Chattanooga,TN37402    DistrictAttorneyGeneral(Onappeal)       C.LelandDavis       AssistantDistrictAttorney       600MarketStreet,Suite310       Chattanooga,TN37402OPINIONFILED:___________________AFFIRMEDWilliamM.Barker,Judgeǜ@ OPINION  Theappellant,ThomasEugeneLester,appealsasofrighthisconvictionintheHamiltonCountyCriminalCourtofaggravatedassault.HereceivedasentenceofsixyearstobeservedonintensiveprobationasaRangeIoffender.Onappeal,hechallengesonlythesufficiencyoftheevidence.Weaffirmappellantsconviction. AppellantwasindictedfortheaggravatedassaultofStanleyHollandasaresultofanaltercationthatoccurredonJuly18,1995inHamiltonCounty.Onthatevening,thevictimcametoappellantshomeonCiticoAvenueinChattanooga.Appellantmetthevictimoutsideontheporch.Apparently,thevictimwantedtodiscusstheappellantsallegedassaultonthevictimssisterearlierthatevening.Appellantandthevictim,whowasaccompaniedbyseveralotherpeople,begantalkingandanargumentensued.Theargumentescalatedandappellantandthevictimbeganfighting.Therewasconflictingtestimonyaboutwhothrewthefirstpunch. Asthealtercationprogressed,thevictimwasprevailingoverappellant.Thevictimpickeduptheappellantandwasabouttothrowhimtothegroundwhenappellantstabbedthevictimintheeye. /   ׀Thevictimstatedthathewasenragedwhenhefelthiseye popandheaskedhiswifeforhisgun.Thevictimswiferetrievedagunfromtheirvehicleparkednearby.Asshewashandingtheweapontothevictim,itdischargedandthebulletstruckthevictiminthegroinarea.Appellantextricatedhimselffromthevictimandranawayasseveralmoreshotswerefired. Asaresultoftheeyeinjury,thevictimpermanentlylostvisioninhisrighteye.Whilethereinitiallywassomequestionastowhetherappellantshotthevictim,theStatestipulatedattrialthatthevictimswifeaccidentallyfiredtheshot. Appellantstheoryattrialwasthatheactedinselfdefense.Hetestifiedthatthevictimcametohisdoorandaskedhimtocomeoutsideandtalk.Thevictimpromisedtherewouldbenotrouble.Whenhewentoutside,appellantstatedthatfiveotherpeoplewerewiththevictim.Thevictimssistershouted, Kickhisass,Stanleyandthevictimthrewthefirstpunch.Theybeganfightingandthevictimthrewappellanttotheground.Accordingtoappellant,thevictim gotinsomegoodlicks.Appellantstatedthathepickedupapieceofaluminumfromthegroundandstartedhittingthevictimwithit. 0   ׀Appellantthenstatedthatheheardthevictimtellhiswifetoshootappellant.Appellantheardtheshot,whichstruckthevictim,andwasabletorunaway.Appellanttestifiedthatsomeonewasshootingathimasheran. Oncrossexamination,appellantdeniedarminghimselfwithascrewdriverbeforehewentoutsidetotalktothevictim.Whileadmittingthatheprobablycausedtheinjurytothevictimseye,appellantdeniedstabbingthevictimdirectlyintheeye.Appellantsbrother,AnthonyLester,whowaspresentwhenthealtercationoccurred,testifiedandcorroboratedappellantsversionoftheevents.Appellantsgirlfriendalsoconfirmedthatappellantwentoutsidetospeaktothevictimathisrequest.Afterthefightbegan,shetestifiedthatshecalled911.Shestatedthatshedidnotwitnessthealtercation,butdidhearseveralgunshotsfired. Attheconclusionoftheproofinthisbenchtrial,thetrialcourtfoundtheappellantguiltyofaggravatedassault.Thetrialcourtspecificallynotedthatitconsideredselfdefense,butfoundthatappellantusedexcessiveforce.Appellantwaslatersentencedtosixyearsintensiveprobationfortheoffense. Inchallengingthesufficiencyoftheevidence,appellantallegesthatthetrialcourtfailedtoproperlyweightheproofsupportinghistheoryofselfdefense.Specifically,hearguesthatthetrialcourterredinfindingthatappellantusedexcessiveforce.Appellantsissueiswithoutmerit. Whenanaccusedchallengesthesufficiencyoftheconvictingevidence,wemustreviewtheevidenceinthelightmostfavorabletotheprosecutionindeterminingwhether anyrationaltrieroffactcouldhavefoundtheessentialelementsofthecrimebeyondareasonabledoubt.Jacksonv.Virginia,443U.S.307,319,99S.Ct.2781,61L.Ed.2d560(1979).WedonotreweighorreevaluatetheevidenceandarerequiredtoaffordtheStatethestrongestlegitimateviewoftheproofcontainedintherecord,aswellasallreasonableandlegitimateinferenceswhichmaybedrawntherefrom.Statev.Cabbage,571S.W.2d832,835(Tenn.1979).Thefindingsofatrialjudgeinabenchtrialcarrythesameweightasajuryverdict.Statev.Hatchett,560S.W.2d627,630(Tenn.1978). Withregardtoselfdefense,TennesseeCodeAnnotatedsection3911611(a)providesasfollows:8 Apersonisjustifiedinthreateningorusingforceagainstanotherpersonwhenandtothedegreethepersonreasonablybelievestheforceisimmediatelynecessarytoprotectagainsttheothersuseorattempteduseofunlawfulforce.Thepersonmusthaveareasonablebeliefthatthereisanimminentdangerofdeathorseriousbodilyinjury.Thedangercreatingthebeliefofimminentdeathorseriousbodilyinjurymustbereal,orhonestlybelievedtoberealatthetime,andmustbefoundeduponreasonablegrounds.Thereisnodutytoretreatbeforeapersonthreatensorusesforce.Consistentwithcommonlaw,thestatuteonlypermitsapersontousetheforcereasonablynecessarytoprotecthimself/herself.SeeTenn.CodeAnn.3911611SentencingCommissionComments;Longv.State,443S.W.2d476,479(Tenn.1969).Asaresult,thedefenseisnotavailableifthedefendantusesexcessiveforce.Id. Whetherornotadefendantactedinselfdefenseisaquestionforthetrieroffacttodetermine.SeeArterburnv.State,391S.W.2d648,653(Tenn.1965);Statev.Fugate,776S.W.2d541,545(Tenn.Crim.App.1988).Encompassedwithinthatdeterminationiswhetherthedefendant'sbeliefinimminentdangerwasreasonable,whethertheforceusedwasreasonable,andwhetherthedefendantwaswithoutfault.Statev.Renner,912S.W.2d701,704(Tenn.1995). Whenitrenderedtheverdictinappellantscase,thetrialcourtspecificallystatedthatitaccreditedthetestimonyoftheStateswitnesses.Thetrialcourtdidnotfindappellanttobeacrediblewitness,statingthatitdidnotbelieveappellantstestimonythathewasindangerofdeathorseriousbodilyinjury.Theissueofexcessiveforcewhichtheappellantcontestswasadeterminationwithintheexclusivepurviewofthetrieroffact.Asanappellatecourt,wewillnotdisturbsuchafindingonappeal.Statev.Cabbage,571S.W.2d832,835(Tenn.1979). Weholdthatappellantsconvictionwassupportedbytheevidencepresentedattrial.Therefore,weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt.       _______________________________       WilliamM.Barker,JudgeCONCUR:____________________________JosephM.Tipton,Judge____________________________CurwoodWitt,Judge