Self-Defense Law from the Prosecution’s perspective

The prosecution will often prosecute even if the defendant killed someone who was unarmed. They don’t care if there was a huge disparity in force (such as three or four people against a lone defender) or if the person was physically overpowered and could only stop an assault by shooting. I’m reminded about two cases. The first case was the “Subway Vigilante”, where a man named Bernhard Goetz killed four muggers on a New York subway. You may have heard about the prosecution of George Zimmerman. He was a member of a community blockwatch who noticed a suspicious teen out scoping empty houses. He was attacked and only shot his attacker after he was pinned down on his back, his attacker on his chest, and his head pounding against the sidewalk. At first, he wasn’t prosecuted, but when the case became politically charged, the state’s attorney decided to prosecute.If you shoot someone who’s unarmed and claim you were attacked in an attempt to disarm you, you can pretty much assume you’ll be arrested and likely prosecuted.Typically, in a mistake-of-fact shooting (you think the object was a gun but turned out not to be), the prosecutor will go ahead and prosecute because you shot an unarmed man, even though you believed the object was a weapon.Another area where prosecutors routinely prosecute is where the defender shot several times, with at least one of the shots striking the deceased in the back. I’ve seen cases where the person was prosecuted for the shot to the back. Even if the shooting was justified, if the cops arrive and find the shooter intoxicated, you can expect an arrest. Who is going to believe someone who is drunk? I have found that juries are not fond of drunks. The same goes for liars. If you lie to the police about the incident, these lies will be printed onto 2×3 foot posters and left before the jury so they can wonder what else you are lying about. I spoke to an attorney looking for an expert who could work on a particular case. After the shooting, it turned out that the defendant fled. If you leave the scene of an incident, no one is left to tell the police your side of the tale. You will be tracked down and arrested. Non-criminals remain and tell the police what happened. Criminals leave the scene. I turned down the case. In the same vein, several years ago, an individual shot and murdered an attacker but left the scene because he had been drinking. He turned himself in the next day, but it was already too late. He is currently in prison in Washington State. When the police arrive at the scene, they will be looking for evidence that a murder or manslaughter has occurred. Even if the police are still there, if you don’t tell them why you shot him, you will be sent to jail. If there were any friends with the man, they will likely tell the police lies to make you look guilty. If the person you shot is still alive, they will likely tell the police lies to make you look guilty. The target grids and bullseyes are measured in MOA. Subscribe to the Gun Digest newsletter and we will send you your print-at home target pack immediately. Enter your email below.