TEMPE, AZ — A 41-year-old Indiana man was arrested after allegedly beating a hotel guest with a metal lamp at a Tempe hotel, leaving the victim with life-threatening injuries, including brain damage and skull fractures.
The Indiana man was arrested early Wednesday morning at Metro Tempe Extended Stay on Southern Avenue after police responded to 911 calls.
According to court documents, the incident began around midnight when the victim, who was staying in a room on the second floor, was locked out by his girlfriend after becoming too drunk. He later went to the room directly above his on the third floor, believing it was where he was staying.
Surveillance footage shows the victim knocking on Armour's door and appearing intoxicated. The victim kicked the door several times before it opened. When the victim entered the room, the Indiana man immediately struck him with a metal lamp, according to the documents.
Paperwork says the victim never moved after the first strike and appeared to be immediately knocked unconscious, according to the surveillance footage.
According to the documents, the Indiana man told police he heard banging on his door and was concerned the person was going to kill or rob him. He said he grabbed a metal lamp, removed the shade, and planned to strike anyone who entered his room. Court records say he acknowledged to police that he "probably" overreacted and went "too far" with the additional strikes after the victim was on the ground.
Attorney Benjamin Taylor is not working this case, but spoke with ABC15 about self-defense laws in Arizona.
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“The castle doctrine extends to your vehicle. It extends to a hotel room. If you have an expectation of having privacy and safety, you can defend yourself if you believe that your life is being threatened under the law,” Taylor said. “It has to be a reasonable amount of force, and you mainly have to feel that your life is in danger, and ultimately, it'll be up to a prosecutor or a judge or jury to decide in the future whether or not your force is reasonable.”
Court paperwork says investigators asked the Indiana man if he felt his actions were reasonable, and he allegedly said, “I went too far."
The victim was taken to a hospital with brain damage, brain bleeding, skull fractures, and life-threatening injuries. He remains in critical condition and has been unable to provide a statement about the incident.
That man was arrested for felony counts of aggravated assault, one for using a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, and another for causing serious physical injury.
Ultimately, it will be the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office that will make a decision whether or not to charge the man if they believe there is a reasonable likelihood of conviction if the case were to go to trial.
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