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Questions tagged [self-defense]

Legal allowance to use force to protect one's self. May encompass rights to use force to protect one's property or the person or property of others.

Canonical answers:

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Does the "stand your ground" law regarding shooting an intruder apply when the door of the dwelling was not locked?

I was wondering, suppose someone enters a dwelling uninvited in a state that has a stand your ground law (or as I am being correct on, Castle Doctrine). If the door was not locked, would the homeowner (or renter) be justified in shooting (and even…
David
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Cases where both parties acted in self-defence (legally)?

I'm very interested in exploring potential cases where two opposing parties were potentially/actually charged with assault, but both were found to be acting in self-defence. (Obviously there are seperate trails). My understanding of self-defence…
Gregory Currie
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Does self-defense apply against someone acting lawfully?

Expounding on this question, if one shoots someone, does the lawfulness of that other person's actions preclude a self-defense argument? Suppose Alice is a cop in a shootout with Bob. Chuck is behind Bob. Chuck reasonably believes that if Alice…
Acccumulation
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Is it legal to chase and/or kill someone stealing from you and under what circumstances?

I read a 9gag post https://9gag.com/gag/agg5vog?fbclid=IwAR2W7lreLR1v1_aigUTliHTlXIQGt1UteyRPKzuAcmCkCiJToxScsTFLFRU Most comments are like, the thief got what it deserves. The law may not agree. In many states in US and in Indonesia, people that…
obfuscated
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Bringing an electric gun in the streets (Belgium)

Is it permissible to bring an electric gun in a hoster just in case of self-defense? Is there a need of a special written permission by a police department or a weapon center or by a court? What are the bureaucratic steps to entertain for this?…
abdul
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What is the basis for how aggressive a person can be in self-defense?

All manner of hugging goes on in society in the US. For some people it is unwanted regardless of who the other person is. Autism spectrum comes to mind. How aggressive can person A be against person B to avoid the hug? Here is a recent…
Slip
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Why does the legal system make it easier to successfully claim self-defense if it resulted in the death of the assailant?

Most (if not all) firearm self-defense courses will teach you that violent altercations can end in the following outcomes, sorted in order of preference: De-escalation - resolve the conflict before it gets violent Escape - run away from the…
JonathanReez
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Can a civilian use tear gas to disperse a mob of protestors gathered around their car?

Let's say I'm driving down a major interstate highway and I see a group of ~100 or so people climbing over the highway fence and spilling out onto the highway. They have signs, so I'm going to assume they're protestors and I bring my vehicle to a…
user31912
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In UK Law what items can you carry to defend your person?

What items are legal under UK law to protect yourself? Can you carry pepper spray? A baseball bat? If there are no police about how is one supposed to protect themselves from harm?
zooby
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Could one claim self defense in killing if he could prove indirect, but not immediate threat?

I was just watching a movie, Training Day, (Edit: Spoiler - read no further if you'd like to not have the plot spoiled) where a good police officer is applying for a position on a narcotics unit, but he quickly finds himself in a position where his…
J.Todd
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Castle doctrine

Does castle doctrine mean any guest at a house can kill uninvited guests? Is it awkward because they would have to know the guest was uninvited despite not being the property owner? Would a quick phone call be enough? Assume the uninvited guest is…
user29444
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