IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 95-21001
Summary Calendar
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
PATRICK LYNN HAWKINS,
Defendant-Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the
Southern District of Texas
(CR-H-95-132-1)
September 18, 1996
Before GARWOOD, JOLLY and DENNIS, Circuit Judges.*
PER CURIAM:
Patrick Lynn Hawkins appeals the district court’s denial of
his motion to suppress the evidence seized during the search of his
motel room pursuant to a warrant. He argues that the officers’
forcible, unannounced entry into his room was unreasonable under
the Fourth Amendment. The record indicates that a confidential
*
Pursuant to Local Rule 47.5, the Court has determined that
this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except
under the limited circumstances set forth in Local Rule 47.5.4.
informant had purchased drugs from Hawkins in his motel room and
that the officers had reason to believe that Hawkins would have
narcotics and possibly weapons in his motel room. Officers
obtained a search warrant authorizing officers to search Hawkins’
motel room for drugs and an arrest warrant for Hawkins. Officers
had reason to believe that the manager of the motel was involved in
drug-trafficking activity and might warn Hawkins if officers
obtained a pass key to Hawkins’ room. Experience also taught that
coming to the motel in the daytime risked alerting suspects in this
high crime area. The officers were also aware that the motel had
a device in the parking lot which rang a bell in the manager’s
office when a vehicle entered the parking lot. They ran over the
device immediately before entering the motel. The officers had
legitimate concerns for their safety and in preventing the likely
destruction of the narcotics if they announced their presence and
purpose before entering the room. Under the circumstances, the
officers’ entry into Hawkins’ room without knocking and announcing
their purpose was not unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment. See
Wilson v. Arkansas, 115 S.Ct. 1914, 1916 (1995).
AFFIRMED
2