So what is a legal Self-Defense???

For those of you who've take the course, and obtained your CCW license, when ARE you allowed to use it??? Many people want to make the George Zimmerman vs. Trayvon Martin issue about race, about the "murder" of a "kid," about anything but what it really is. It's not about race, it's not about the age of the deceased, it's about when you DO have a right to use your weapon!!! At what point were you taught you could legally use your weapon to DEFEND yourself when you were in the process of being attacked and beaten to death???

 

Wow, nobody has a CCW license here???

 

I spoke with a senior homicide detective here in Montgomery a couple weeks ago. The definition here is: "If you have legitimate reason to believe, your life or a person on your property's life, or your property itself is threatened, you have the right to use as much force as needed to protect it." I asked: "What if someone is trying to get into my house; may I go outside, using the back door, with a weapon?" "Absolutely, why would you wait for them to get into your house?" "What if they are trying to steal some property kept outdoors like my boat?" "Call 911, try to stop them if you can and if they won't leave or become threatening to you, you are within your right to shoot if necessary to defend your property." Of course, that is here and it largely depends on the judgment of the on-scene officer, but for a city our size, our crime rate is pretty low. The biggest crimes here are political and insurance fraud related. Most of the murders are drug related and in the "jects", as they are called locally.

 

In before the lock!

I was told your best self defense weapon is your brain. And if possible to avoidany situations that increased your risk of putting yourself into a position where force would be needed to protect yourself. Therefore I do not go into shady places and look for suspicious people.

 

But Rybo, that's not the point.... As a guy is walking to his car, he's assaulted by another guy, and the other guy is on top of him beating his face in and after several cries for help, he shoots the assailant from near point blank range, in SELF DEFENSE. As per the law of the land, he's legally allowed to defend himself "with up to, and including lethal force."

But from a CCW class, I want to know what is taught???

 

Go take a CCW class and find out for yourself.

 

^ I cannot recommend strongly enough that you guys need to take a real CCW course/defensive pistol course.

"Deadly force is justified only when undertaken to prevent imminent and otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm to the innocent." Massad Ayoob

You need to understand the Reasonable Man Doctrine and the elements of ability, opportunity and jeopardy. This is what the law and the jury is going to be using to determine if you acted reasonably.

If you're in IL the codes are under 720 ILCS 5/7-1 (thru 5/7-4).