The United States has long recognized a right to defend yourself with deadly force when faced with the Immediate and Otherwise Unavoidable Danger of Death or Grave Bodily Harm to the Innocent.
If you act to that standard by which you will be judged, you should be okay.
A man in Arkansas found out recently what happens when you don’t act to that standard, either because you are unwilling or because you don’t know what that standard is through ignorance.
A man was shot and killed in Hot Springs after reportedly trying to force his way into the back door of a home early Monday morning.
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Officers arrested 30-year-old Quincy Eugene Young and charged him with murder II just before noon on Monday.
According to reports, 24-year-old Tyrone McAfee was trying to force open the back door of the residence with his shoulder, when Young began firing at him from inside the house.
Young then followed McAfee into the back yard and shot him several more times, police say….
First off, the homeowner made *big* mistakes.
1. Generally speaking, with narrow few exceptions, you may NOT shoot through your front door at someone trying to break it down.
2. You don’t pursue fleeing bad guys.
3. You sure as heck don’t chase them down and perforate them additional times.
If you think you can chase a badguy out of your house into your backyard and engage them there, or if you think you’ll just stick a knife in a badguy’s hand after you’ve smitten him hip and thigh, our advice to you would be to seek out reputable, professional training on deadly force and the law before you put into practice any of that nonsense.
Unless you like living behind high walls, concertina wire and concrete.