States Allow Deadly Self-Defense

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(March 21) – A year after Florida became the first state to allow citizens to use deadly force against muggers, carjackers and other attackers, the idea is spreading. South Dakota has enacted a similar law, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels plans to sign such a measure today, and 15 other states are considering such proposals.

Dubbed “Stand Your Ground” bills by supporters such as the National Rifle Association, the measures generally grant immunity from prosecution and lawsuits to those who use deadly force to combat any unlawful entry or attack. Several states allow people to use deadly force in their homes against intruders; the new measures represent an expansion of self-defense rights to crimes committed in public.

articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060321073109990028&cid=2194

Hehehehe. Looks like skells are going to get what is coming to them. oh how tragic. he tried to carjack that pregnant woman, but got shot to death with a.357 by her husband. boo-hooooo.

i am interested to see if this will cover the homeowners pets, say, ummm, two 100 or so pound Dobermans that will shred an attacker on command.

that old “Duty To Retreat” will only get you shot in the back, thats what.
 
It merely returns us to the old Common Law. “A man shall never flee from a thief.”
 
South Carolina law was changed quite a few years ago to allow more protection for homeowners. After dark, it is no longer necessary to wait for an intruder to gain access to your home. If he is outside and acting like he will attemp entry, he’s fair game.
 
Arkansas law says it is state policy that any force used by a resident to repel an intruder or arsonist is to be considered reasonable. If charges are brought in such a case, the judge is required to read the law to the jury.
 
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geezerbob:
South Carolina law was changed quite a few years ago to allow more protection for homeowners. After dark, it is no longer necessary to wait for an intruder to gain access to your home. If he is outside and acting like he will attemp entry, he’s fair game.
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“no-retreat” laws are being considered here in Georgia…

:hmmm: perhaps I should add to my gun collection…
 
I think that these laws are a mixed blessing. For people who know how to evaluate a threat and respond with the appropriate level of force it will be great. For some others this might lead them to make a bad choice to confront someone who they are not prepared to deal with.

I doubt that there will be any mandatory training courses on gun safety for homeowners or identifying your target or anything else new required in these states. I don’t have a problem with people defending themselves against a legitimate threat, but we have lots of dingy citizens who may see this as their permission to “shoot first.”

I’ve always found it ironic that the police are required to do lots of training on proper use of force including guns but private citizens can just buy a gun and go for it in our country. The days when most people learned proper gun safety and use growing up are gone. Additionally, most people here are not trained in any type of self-defense, so they jump past the other levels of non-lethal force that the police are required to consider before using a gun against someone who is not armed.

When I was a police officer we had to watch for multiple threats on any call to a home, the possible intruder and the homeowner. On most occasions it was the homeowner who was the biggest concern. One elderly lady who had the shakes answered the door with the hammer cocked and her finger on the trigger of a large caliber revolver. She was waving it right at myself and my partner. We didn’t know if we could even get it safely out of her hand to uncock the hammer without getting shot due to her palsy.

My field training officer lost a trainee a few years before I started who was shot by a homeowner who just saw the outline of a person on the closed curtains (after calling the police). They shot the officer in the back with a shotgun without even pulling the curtain to see who was out there. Of course they were terribly sorry, but that does not bring back a life or uncripple someone.

I really hope that people act with prudence under these new laws and that they don’t cause more problems than they solve.
 
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