Following a jury trial, Johnny Monroe was convicted of aggravated assault. His motion for new trial was denied, and he appeals, challenging the sufficiency of the evidence and the admission of certain evidence. We find no error, and we affirm. 1. We first address Monroe’s contention that the evidence was insufficient to convict him of aggravated assault. Construed in favor of the verdict, the State presented evidence that the victim, an officer employed by the Brunswick Police Department, stopped the car Monroe was driving after noticing that car’s headlights were off. The traffic stop occurred at approximately 5:25 p.m. on December 3, 2000, and the victim testified that “it was becoming darker and I felt concerned for the safety of the other vehicles and the citizens on the road.” The victim approached Monroe and asked for his driver’s license and proof of insurance. Monroe replied that he did not have his license with him and did not know where the proof of insurance was located. Monroe told the victim that the car belonged to his girlfriend, but he could not remember his girlfriend’s last name. In addition, when asked to state his date of birth, Monroe “stammered and stuttered” and was unsure of the year in which he was born. Monroe told the victim that his name was “James Jenkins.” The victim provided that name, along with the car’s license tag information to a dispatcher, in an effort to determine the name of the registered owner of the vehicle.
At some point during the stop, another City of Brunswick police officer, Allen Carter, arrived at the scene to serve as back-up. As a result of information the officers received from the dispatcher, they decided to arrest Monroe. The victim instructed Monroe to exit the car. Monroe did so but then “burst through” the victim and Officer Carter in an attempt to flee. A struggle among the three men ensued, with all three rolling down an embankment. Carter testified that during the struggle, Monroe attempted to remove Carter’s pistol from its holster. Carter managed to spray Monroe twice with pepper spray. Carter testified that after the second spray, “Mr. Monroe was down on the ground . . . covering his eyes and he had something in his hands. Instantaneously, he hit the victim with a brick, what . . . appeared to be a brick.” The victim testified that he tackled Monroe “around the ankles and the next thing I know, I’m getting hit in the head two or three times.” Monroe was eventually subdued and taken into custody. The victim’s head injuries required five stitches.
