Legal to KILL in FL

Hasn't self defense always been a valid defense against manslaughter charges?

shmoove

No, the law is that you are allowed to shoot someone with a firearm when he threatens you. It used to be that you had to attempt to flee, first.

Or that's how it was stated in my newspaper. Anyway, it conjured up images of the wild west in my mind, too.

right, now you able to shoot someone in the head in public has self-defence.

florida is such a texas wannabe.

Are you threatenning me?
Careful....

shmoove

In Canada, it's only legal to use equivalent force in self-defense.

That means that if some hippie comes at you with his hippie knife, you can't harsh his buzz by blowing his skull open with your 12 gauge.

It's so people can use firearms for self defense. If you shoot somebody, you will most likely kill them (especially if you shoot them multiple times). If you could get convicted of manslaughter/murderer for shooting/killing someone in self defense then a firearm would be useless for self defense.

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Original post by shmoove Are you threatenning me?

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Original post by curtmax_0 It's so people can use firearms for self defense. If you shoot somebody, you will most likely kill them (especially if you shoot them multiple times). If you could get convicted of manslaughter/murderer for shooting/killing someone in self defense then a firearm would be useless for self defense.

And you would shoot somebody multiple times out of self defense... why?

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Original post by curtmax_0 It's so people can use firearms for self defense. If you shoot somebody, you will most likely kill them (especially if you shoot them multiple times). If you could get convicted of manslaughter/murderer for shooting/killing someone in self defense then a firearm would be useless for self defense.

I don't agree with these laws..

Why in the world would you ever NEED to shoot someone in self-defense??

I'm not going to argue with all you commies/hippies... I have my own reasons to support laws like this. It's a crazy world, and when I turn 21 I am carrying a Glock 19 with me all the time....

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Original post by curtmax_0 I'm not going to argue with all you commies/hippies... I have my own reasons to support laws like this. It's a crazy world, and when I turn 21 I am carrying a Glock 19 with me all the time....

This is sarcasm, right?

Right? [depressed]

How do you define equivalent force?

If he's got a knife and is out to kill you (how do you prove that?) I think killing them in self defence is equivalent force [Sorry, but he was using a knife had you been using a knife in self defense as well it would've been ok, but a gun is against the rules].

I think the law is similar in Germany, though I don't know the exact wording. However, if you kill the other person, and had enough time for rational thought between the original attack and your retaliation it might actually count as planned, and thus murder.

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Original post by Wildfire How do you define equivalent force? If he's got a knife and is out to kill you (how do you prove that?) I think killing them in self defence is equivalent force [Sorry, but he was using a knife had you been using a knife in self defense as well it would've been ok, but a gun is against the rules]. I think the law is similar in Germany, though I don't know the exact wording. However, if you kill the other person, and had enough time for rational thought between the original attack and your retaliation it might actually count as planned, and thus murder.

Still why the need for such a "kill or be killed" mindset!?

Unless you have NO POSSIBLE means of escape (which seems highly unlikely unless the other person has a gun) then can't you just leg it?

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Better yet why don't you just take all the guns off everyone (except the military) and that way you'll get rid of alot of problems..

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Original post by curtmax_0 I'm not going to argue with all you commies/hippies... I have my own reasons to support laws like this. It's a crazy world, and when I turn 21 I am carrying a Glock 19 with me all the time....

...

and that's why you might have to use a gun in self defense. it's circular logic ("if guns are outlawed, only outlaws have guns" "i carry a gun so that i'm as powerful as the bad guys who have guns" etc. etc.)

by the way, educate yourself please. Communism, Wikipedia style. im sure google has some nice resources too, which will teach you that communism isnt evil. its different, and tends to not work so well. but it isnt evil. and liberal != communist. and pro-gun control != liberal. and so on.

EDIT: typos

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Original post by ArchangelMorph Why in the world would you ever NEED to shoot someone in self-defense??

Well, you don't need to shoot in self defense.. you could just let the criminal attack / maim / kill / rob you.

I think the equivalant force law is a bit funky. Does it take into account things such as the other person's size and ability? I'm a reasonably short guy.. so if an experienced 280lb street thug comes at me with a knife, just using the 'equivalant' force of a knife is most likely not going to work very well for me.

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Original post by Boris Karloff And you would shoot somebody multiple times out of self defense... why?

If you've got a guy pulling a gun on you (knife.. whatever), I'd rather be damn sure that he's incapacitated than give him the chance to shoot me back.

However, alot of times when stuff like this happens, it's in the dark. So all you may see is some object in the other guy's hand. This could be a knife/firearm/ass penny.. etc..

In any case, if some guy were in my house at night with a suspicious looking object in his hands and he didn't respond to me saying anything, he would get a facefull of 12 gauge...

And I was joking about commie/hippie :P

EDIT: spelling

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Original post by ArchangelMorph Quote: Original post by Wildfire How do you define equivalent force? If he's got a knife and is out to kill you (how do you prove that?) I think killing them in self defence is equivalent force [Sorry, but he was using a knife had you been using a knife in self defense as well it would've been ok, but a gun is against the rules]. I think the law is similar in Germany, though I don't know the exact wording. However, if you kill the other person, and had enough time for rational thought between the original attack and your retaliation it might actually count as planned, and thus murder. Still why the need for such a "kill or be killed" mindset!? Unless you have NO POSSIBLE means of escape (which seems highly unlikely unless the other person has a gun) then can't you just leg it?

This law is not meant to be 'kill or be killed'. Of course you should try to get away first. But if you end up in a situation where your only chance for survival is lethal force, do you really want to end up 20 years in jail? No? Then that's what the law is for. If you (more or less) accidently kill someone in self defense, given there was no other choice you will not be charged with murder.

The law 3dmodelerguy mentioned sounds a lot harsher... I mean, if you 'feel' there is a threat (even 'only' of bodily harm) you are allowed to kill.

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I think the equivalant force law is a bit funky. Does it take into account things such as the other person's size and ability? I'm a reasonably short guy.. so if an experienced 280lb street thug comes at me with a knife, just using the 'equivalant' force of a knife is most likely not going to work very well for me.

Yes, it does. At least around here. If you are a karate-pro and kill someone in self defense that will be held against you since you are trained for combat and should be aware of your strength.

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Original post by falkone Quote: Original post by ArchangelMorph Why in the world would you ever NEED to shoot someone in self-defense?? Well, you don't need to shoot in self defense.. you could just let the criminal attack / maim / kill / rob you. I think the equivalant force law is a bit funky. Does it take into account things such as the other person's size and ability? I'm a reasonably short guy.. so if an experienced 280lb street thug comes at me with a knife, just using the 'equivalant' force of a knife is most likely not going to work very well for me. Quote: Original post by Boris Karloff And you would shoot somebody multiple times out of self defense... why? If you've got a guy pulling a gun on you (knife.. whatever), I'd rather be damn sure that he's incapacitated than give him the chance to shoot me back.

This is rather a malicious way of thinking don't u think??
Unless the guy is truely out to kill you (which is unlikely unless he is either crazy or you did something really bad to him to make him want to) then I doubt he'd want to do anything more than just take your wallet..

I don't think the fact that just because the guy is twice your size is justification enough for you to blow him away.. Isn't him getting caught and going down for a few yrs punishment enough..

And secondly whats wrong with non-lethal arms such as tasers, stun-guns and pepper spray??

There's much more humane ways to incapacitate an attacker rather than taking his life (I mean who are you to choose whether you deserve to live more than he does?)