The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law
Chapter 15: It Was Either Him or Me
Self-Defense pg 10: No blasters!
Before the angry outlaw finishes his sentence, Luke shoots him through the heart. BLAM
The big outlaw gestures at his dead friend, Luke shrugs
BIG OUTLAW
What’d you do that for?
LAREDO LUKE
Self-defense, pard. He was going to hurt me. I just protected myself.
That is absolutely hilarious dead pan expression to kill a man threatening you. It’s so… casual.
What happened to Yoda? “Luke, don’t use the Force!” :-)
Luke shot first!
So if you’re lawfully armed and you’re credibly threatened with immediate and grievous bodily harm (at minimum), the extent of that harm is not known in advance and in the fraction of a second one has to consider, drawing your weapon and using it to stop the attacker (and they teach you to shoot at the central body mass to effectively “stop” the attacker) is not self-defense?
I don’t get it.
George Zimmerman was (or is) guilty of some form of homicide because he accosted Trayvon Martin, not the other way around. But if Zimmerman did not stalk Martin and Trayvon had accosted Zimmerman, without provocation, and started swinging, then I think Zimmerman’s use of his weapon would have been justified. (But, of course, that didn’t happen, which is why Zimmerman is culpable.)
I don’t see how Luke’s use of the firearm is unlawful if he is being attacked like that. The attacker made a credible threat of serious bodily harm and was shot in the very act of carrying out that threat. I cannot see how this does not qualify as self-defense.