random violence?

[usmajunk]

I got jumped yesterday while walking down the street.
no provokation, no warning, just hit me.
The two guys didnt take anything, they just wanted to hit someone.
so, my question here is, as an American citizen, in America, do i have the right to kill in self defense in this situation, because i didnt know what was gonna happen. is there any limit to force or anything?

just curious.

[Abolith]

Ask a Lawyer.

but I think that if you were in fear of your life you might get away with it.

[playtym]

I have no idea as to the legal aspects pertaining to the use of deadly force in your country, but I would fall back on the different levels of force laid down in the use of force continuum.

Most Use of Force Continuums have the following progressing levels:
1. Presence of the Defender.
2. Verbal commands.
3. Soft-hands (compliance & redirection techniques, display of non-lethal weapons).
4. Non-lethal weapons (OC spray, Electronic Restraint Device).
5. Hard hands & Impact Weapons
6. Deadly force

Also see the following sites:

http://martialarts.jameshom.com/library/weekly/aa021201a.htm
http://www.crimedoctor.com/security_guards_2.htm
http://www.usadojo.com/martial-arts-articles/article-civilian-use-of-force-continuum.htm

Hope this helps.

[Mr.K]

I got jumped yesterday while walking down the street.
no provokation, no warning, just hit me.
The two guys didnt take anything, they just wanted to hit someone.
so, my question here is, as an American citizen, in America, do i have the right to kill in self defense in this situation, because i didnt know what was gonna happen. is there any limit to force or anything?

just curious.

Yes there is a limit to force, ask a cop not a lawyer (it will cost you less ;)) Your safest bet would be "to run away", if you decide to fight,it will depend on the police officer(s) & judge if you're to blame , if you go for the killing option you are likely to go to jail.

[FallenAngel]

I got jumped yesterday while walking down the street.
no provokation, no warning, just hit me.
The two guys didnt take anything, they just wanted to hit someone.
so, my question here is, as an American citizen, in America, do i have the right to kill in self defense in this situation, because i didnt know what was gonna happen. is there any limit to force or anything?

just curious.

Off of such limited info--- no.

The gist of it was this: they were unarmed and the law (generally) says you can't shoot someone if they're just going to hit you with a fist.

You can only use deadly force when faced with deadly force (or what a reasonable person would construde as deadly force. e.g.- being attacked by someone with a knife).

[Laconian]

Depends on a number of factors:
1. The local/state law on self-defense where you live. Some jurisdictions require the victim to escape or attempt an escape before defending themselves; others do not.

2. The level of physical fear/danger/injury you faced. In most cases you are required to use the least amount of force needed to control a threat. You just can't escalate to killing somebody.

3. The amount of your training. If you are a CCW/practised martial artist/boxer, etc. You will be expected to act with some level of restraint, see #2.

My best advice is file a report with Five-0, and start to develop a sense of awareness about your surroundings and develop a plan of action if ever you find yourself in that situation again.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

If you had been Chuck Norris, there would be no need to speak of guns. Even now, he would still be standing over them, punching them in the face every time they tried to get up.

[mudbunny]

lol, nice.

[bluffcove]

http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/ultimate+showdown/#start - thats violence

[Hullebullen]

If you had been Chuck Norris, there would be no need to speak of guns. Even now, he would still be standing over them, punching them in the face every time they tried to get up.

No, that's Steven Seagal you're talking about. Chuck would've pulverized them into a pile of oozing goo with a single punch...

[GeraldDuval]

I can't help with the legal stuff, but that really sucks man, I hope you're ok...

[BadKarma26]

They don't teach you CQC at the point??

haha jk man, that sucks

[p$ycho+log!cal]

I got jumped yesterday while walking down the street.
no provokation, no warning, just hit me.
The two guys didnt take anything, they just wanted to hit someone.
so, my question here is, as an American citizen, in America, do i have the right to kill in self defense in this situation, because i didnt know what was gonna happen. is there any limit to force or anything?

just curious.

every time you go out u got to be ready
dont tell yourself "do i have the right to defend myself if attacked", man this is jungle, you got to fight **** them laws in this case!
if you got to kill to survive, do it.

[kaspur_eh]

what a bunch of asshats... concealed carry will solve that

[pathfinder82]

I got jumped yesterday while walking down the street.
no provokation, no warning, just hit me.
The two guys didnt take anything, they just wanted to hit someone.
so, my question here is, as an American citizen, in America, do i have the right to kill in self defense in this situation, because i didnt know what was gonna happen. is there any limit to force or anything?

just curious.

If you feel your life is threatned you have the right to defend yourself. However our system interprets that fairly loosely once you step foot in a courtroom.

You seem to be ok, chances are youll never have a problem like that again unless you have a mouth on you. While it might hurt your pride for a time that you didnt plunge a knife into somebodys throat, Id say things turned out for the best considering.

You should feel lucky, we had a guy who was shot while walking down the street just a few days ago. Another guy walked by him gave him a look as they passed, turned around and put a slug into his brain point blank. Wasnt even given the chance to defend himself.

[EvanL]

In Canada you are allowed to use enough force as is necessary to protect you and everyone around you. Any excessive force used, and you can be charged criminally. In my job it is very hard sometime to figuire out how much force is going to be too much. I am bound by the law as a civillian, but I am also responsible if I don't use enough force and somebody gets hurt.

It's amazing though how some idiots on here think just shooting the person would be the best way to go about it. I wonder how many of those people who think its so easy to shoot somebody would be able to handle the thought that they had actually killed somebody.

[wormie]

In Canada you are allowed to use enough force as is necessary to protect you and everyone around you. Any excessive force used, and you can be charged criminally. In my job it is very hard sometime to figuire out how much force is going to be too much. I am bound by the law as a civillian, but I am also responsible if I don't use enough force and somebody gets hurt.

It's amazing though how some idiots on here think just shooting the person would be the best way to go about it. I wonder how many of those people who think its so easy to shoot somebody would be able to handle the thought that they had actually killed somebody.
What is your job?

[onefast93z28]

Here in Flordia, if more than one person attacks you, you can use deadly force. Should you? That depends on the situation.

[RGRBOX]

If you had been Chuck Norris, there would be no need to speak of guns. Even now, he would still be standing over them, punching them in the face every time they tried to get up.

Wait a minute... you think they would be able to get up after the first puch he gave them.. or just by being in the same AO with them...

Chuch Norris = WMD

[remo williams]

It's been my experience/observation that as far as the cops, DA's and courts go,whoever files the complaint first gets a leg up. Unless it's so blantant that the truth isn't really the truth or it's discovered events transpired otherwise (through further investigation). Otherwise you're req'd to try to flee flee first. Then respond. you can't just kill someone outright for punching you in the melon. As far as interpretation of the law I would agree it's very loose and sometimes borders on arbitrary. Depends on who the judge is and the prosecutor is. Case in point, there was a guy who was jumped by three men. One was armed with a knife,one with a broken bottle. The one man fought off all three of his attackers,killing one with, I believe, a blow which closed the attackers windpipe. however he went through a yr and a half worth of trial bs,lost his job,and was pretty much ruined because the DA felt he was somehow in the wrong for defending himself after he couldn't get away and leave his family to deal with his attackers.. He was aquitted on all charges, but his life was almost lost for putting some foot to ass. Sometimes right isn't always the right/best thing.

[onefast93z28]

Better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6....

[EvanL]

What is your job?
I'm a retail investigator for a major Canadian company.