Just having a gun is not the only prep you will need. You will also need tools to de-escalate. Not only do you want to win the attack, but also the legal battle that follows.
You will need to justify your actions when Lawyers start bombarding you on the stand. So you better have a well thought out reason why you shot this guy rather then run, or subdue them.
Depends on what State you're in.
In MA you need to justify your use of lethal force by meeting expectation of flight requirements, however in other states, you do not.
New Hampshire, for instance, provides that there is specifically no expectation of flight in your home, on your property or in your vehicle, so such a line of questioning at trial would be irrelavent and cause for objection to the line of questioning. Since New Hampshire law does not include an expectation of flight outside of those three areas, a similar objection could be made against that line of questioning outside those three exempted areas.
In states with "Stand your Ground" laws, there is no expectation of flight anywhere, so such a line of question is also irrelavent.
Given that the majority of the people in this forum are, for better or worse, residents of MA or reasonably often travel in MA, MA's expectation of flight statute bears merit to consider.
Anyone have the specific self defense statute?
I found this summary:
Everyone has the right to defend himself. To do so however the following circumstances must be present: 1) that the defendant had a reasonable belief that he was being attacked or about to be attacked; 2) the he limit the force he uses to that which is reasonably necessary under the circumstances and 3) that he do all he reasonably can to avoid combat. In close cases judges in Massachusetts are supposed to give the defendant the benefit of any doubt and give a self-defense instruction.
So, if you're going to claim self-defense in the State of MA, be prepared to establish these three conditions.
Well, this is interesting, Part IV, Title II Chapter 278 Section 8A provides castle doctrine in the state of MA. Anyone know if there's a law supersceeding this?
Section 8A. In the prosecution of a person who is an occupant of a dwelling charged with killing or injuring one who was unlawfully in said dwelling, it shall be a defense that the occupant was in his dwelling at the time of the offense and that he acted in the reasonable belief that the person unlawfully in said dwelling was about to inflict great bodily injury or death upon said occupant or upon another person lawfully in said dwelling, and that said occupant used reasonable means to defend himself or such other person lawfully in said dwelling. There shall be no duty on said occupant to retreat from such person unlawfully in said dwelling.