Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Unarmed people can still use body parts as a deadly weapon... case in point... when the firefighter in Philadelphia was smashing the cop's head into the concrete...
Tough call. I mean, think about the guy in Florida high on the bath salts or whatever that ate somebody.. he was unarmed.
Saying "When you reasonably feel your life/physical safety is threatened".. That SHOULD be sufficient.. But then you get the lawyers in arguing that the guy walking down the street in a hoodie was 'threatening' because the person who did the shooting had been robbed 20 years ago by someone in a hoodie.
I'd say the best answer. It's acceptable when you're willing to do the jail time for killing someone when others don't believe you had to. Justified is a whole other can of worms.
I'd say it depends on the circumstances but in general whenever there is a reasonable threat of unprovoked physical force. The assailant doesn't necessarily have to be wielding a weapon.
Now I know for myself I would restrain from firing till the last possible moment, to where I was well convinced I'd likely be overpowered or a weapon was going to be used against me. I would want to give them a chance to retreat or surrender as much as practically possible.
If a guy the size of Dez Bryant or Clay Matthews was intent of destroying me with his bare hands and I had a gun, yes I would pull the trigger and it would be justified.
If they were running away and I shot them, I would be guilty.
It seems like some on this site find it never justifiable.
You have to invoke the reasonable person doctrine (something we are in short supply of around here) such that if the other person were a threat as deemed by a reasonable person and you had to defend your life then there you have it.
Also major consideration should be given to whom started the conflict, how it escalated etc.
In the case you are debating in another thread if it turns out the shooters window was broken and he was being punched or drug from the car then he'll likely be found not guilty. If he just rolled his window down to put a couple rounds in a guy screaming at him.....jail.
Kinda like the difference between someone that has broken down your front door so you shoot them....or someone that is pounding on your front door so you open it and shoot them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
