What sort of argument is that. Dude broke into a house. At that point he is a threat and doesn't magically turn into a harmless person just because they turn around. They might just be jumping into cover to get their own gun. They might be running to a second burglar for help. The first rule in any emergency situation is your safety is paramount. Yours alone. A firefighter won't jump into a burning building to save a puppy, a medic won't risk his life to constrain a madman with a knife. They are there to do a specific job - and heroics only looks good on TV or in movies.

Judging situations in hindsight is always so easy. Being in that situation is something else entirely. But it is better to be judged by twelve than carried by six. Again, your safety first - don't administer aid on a running highway, don't get closer to burning cars, don't try to "save" someone getting beaten up. Don't be a hero.

[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml -3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

There is a difference between not jumping into a burning building and not shooting someone running away from you. Once they're fleeing, shooting them is not self-defense just because you're afraid they might come back in the future.

If you don't believe that, when does it stop being self-defense? Maybe they'll come back a decade from now, then surely it's self-defense to break into their home and kill them in their sleep to protect yourself.

[–] redisdead@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago

You're talking like the dude was a harmless being who did nothing wrong.

Yes, shooting a human being in the back as they're moving away from you is bad, however this hypothetical doesn't apply in this story.

[–] Maalus@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

"When does it stop being self defense?" - not at them turning around. And I'd say you have a right to shoot them till the moment the police come to take over the situation / provide safety for you. Running after someone who is like 500m away to shoot them wouldn't be self defense anymore obviously. And again - "self defense" isn't a black and white situation. It's grey enough where each case needs to be determined individually. But the "bias" belongs with the person whose house they broke into, not with the burglar. A burglar killing someone and saying "they had a gun!!" is 100% murder. A person overreacting / crossing a "line" in self defense deserves leniency if not straight up immunity.

[–] redisdead@lemmy.world -1 points 3 days ago

At this point it's no longer self defense, it's society defense.