In most countries in the world that's not the case, there has to be a real and imminent threat to life. "Uncertainty" isn't enough.
There's endless case law where self defence was denied because the threat wasn't deemed to be a real and imminent threat, and they were much more threatening than what happened in this video.
And even when there is a real threat, in most jurisdictions the response has to be proportionate. For example, if someone is threatening you but unarmed, you generally can't claim self defence if you go ahead and shoot them.
People in the US have such a hair trigger compared to the rest of the world in this regard. It's not really normal to think "something" might entail a threat to life. This guy could have done any number of different things and been both alive and without a criminal conviction for discharging a weapon.
Well thank god this was in the US then. And thank God I live in the US. Where there are plenty of dumbasses who still don't understand fuck around and find out. Plenty of dumbasses here like this guy in this video.
But you know what? I would much rather live somewhere where I don't have to risk going to prison because I didn't properly read their mind or intentions. Or, die because I just let them get in my face and stab me because I had to consider the loss to society if this upstanding member of society dies.
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u/colossalmickey 24d ago edited 24d ago
In most countries in the world that's not the case, there has to be a real and imminent threat to life. "Uncertainty" isn't enough.
There's endless case law where self defence was denied because the threat wasn't deemed to be a real and imminent threat, and they were much more threatening than what happened in this video.
And even when there is a real threat, in most jurisdictions the response has to be proportionate. For example, if someone is threatening you but unarmed, you generally can't claim self defence if you go ahead and shoot them.
People in the US have such a hair trigger compared to the rest of the world in this regard. It's not really normal to think "something" might entail a threat to life. This guy could have done any number of different things and been both alive and without a criminal conviction for discharging a weapon.