Justifiable Violence: Use of Force

 

I suggest the 5 elements of justified use of force. They are:
Innocence. Who is the aggressor? Don’t be the aggressor but be ready.
Imminence. What signs are there that an attack will happen? Are they reasonable signs?
Reasonableness. Knowledge of the attacker. What you can ascertain about your attacker. The exception is where there is a disparity of force. Typical examples of disparity of force include a big guy attacking a smaller guy, a man attacking a woman, a healthy person attacking an infirm person, or a trained fighter attacking an untrained person.
Avoidance. Regardless of law (but you should know the law in your state) as a lethal weapon carrier, you should always avoid an altercation if you can. It’s also wise legally, to show that you went out of your way to avoid the situation.
Proportionality. Once the threat is stopped anything else is excess. If you hit your attacker and they go down and don’t move or you shoot them and they go down and don’t move, further injury or violence against them will be assault or possibly attempted murder. If the threat persists, you must stop the threat.
I have never had the misfortune to have to defend my actions of self-defense. The only incident I have had was clear to law enforcement, and nothing happened to me. But as concealed carriers we must be aware of the implications and responsibilities that accompany carrying a lethal weapon.
Having a little knowledge of these things is good, but consulting a lawyer is better. There are many pro 2nd amendment lawyers out there. There is also some legal defense insurance programs out there to protect yourself in the event of a defensive shooting. Here are three:
Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network, Inc. (ACLDN)
U.S. Law Shield
NRA’s Carry Guard
Being aware of the laws in your state and the states you visit is very important. You risk a lot not knowing them. There are also classes you can take for this but most states include their laws in their concealed carry classes for their license.

Semper Paratus
Check 6
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