3) Let’s take #1 and give the person a knife. Now, the person twice your age and half your size that says that he is going to kill you is moving toward you with a large knife. Now the scenerio changes dramatically.
This is Probably Justified since a knife can do severe damage and/or kill you.
4) Four people, each half your size, tell you that they’re going to kill you and start advancing toward you.
This is Probably Justified since you would be outnumbered significantly.
5) You accidentally cut someone off in your car and you both pull over. The person you cut off sticks his head out of his window and yells “I’m going to kill you”, but does not exit his car or do anything else.
This is Not Justified because you have an avenue to remove yourself from the situation, in case it were to escalate.
Now, if we take the same scenario in #5 and switch it up a bit, it may change things quite a bit. Let’s say that you leave and continue on your way, only to find that the person you cut off has started following you. You end up at a red light with nowhere to go and they get out of their car (with a few passengers) and storm up to your window. They start pounding on your window and trying to get your door open, like in the video below:
If this scenario were to unfold, you are Probably Justified to draw your firearm because at this point, you would more than likely be in fear for your life.
Using your best judgement and knowing the laws
Your best judgement will always come into play if an event like this is unfolding. We say ‘Probably’ in each of the scenarios above because there are simply too many variables that will need to be accounted for and factored in.
Also, be sure to know the self-defense laws in your locality, as they will be different from state to state.
For more scenarios, watch the quick video below by Dr. Bruce Eimer.
