Welcome to The Armed Defender’s Dilemma, a new monthly series from Shawn Vincent. Each month, a new lesson unfolds—shaped by real self-defense encounters and informed by expert legal and tactical review. These lessons go beyond tactics and trigger pulls; they explore the judgment, restraint, and split-second decisions that determine what happens next. Follow along each month to uncover how ordinary moments can become defining ones for every armed defender.
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Lesson 6 of 36: Don't Shoot Before the Threat is Imminent
Lesson 6: Don’t shoot BEFORE the threat is imminent.
About Shawn Vincent
Litigation Consultant
Shawn Vincent is a litigation consultant who helps select juries in self-defense cases, and he manages public interest of high-profile legal matters.
All Lessons
Lesson 1: The goal of self-defense is to break contact.
Self-defense isn’t about fighting—it’s about escaping danger. The moment you’ve stopped the threat or created a...
Lesson 2: Get Training.
Steve Moses talks to Don West and Shawn Vincent about how proper self-defense training from qualified, credentialed...
Lesson 3: Understand the Legal Consequences
Authorities investigate every deadly use of force, and they treat every self-defense fatality as a homicide. An...
Lesson 4: The threat must be imminent and serious.
Criminal defense attorney Don West explains the core legal standard for the justifiable use of deadly force in...
Lesson 5: The belief of imminent harm or death must be reasonable.
It’s not enough to feel afraid—you must have a reasonable belief that you or someone else faced an imminent threat...
Lesson 6: Don’t shoot BEFORE the threat is imminent.
Even if someone appears dangerous, you can’t use deadly force until the threat is immediate. The attacker must not...
Lesson 7: Don’t shoot AFTER the threat is over.
The legal justification for deadly force ends the moment the threat does. If the attacker retreats, drops their weapon,...
Lesson 8: Don’t get emotionally hijacked.
Fear and anger are natural in a life-threatening confrontation, but they can lead to fatal mistakes if you let passions...
Lesson 9: Maintain situational awareness.
You should always be aware of potential threats in your environment—a state of vigilance many self-defense...
Lesson 10: Don’t be the first aggressor.
You can’t claim self-defense if you started the fight. In most jurisdictions, if you’re seen as the first...
Lesson 11: Don’t provoke a potential aggressor.
Even if you’re not the first aggressor, you can forfeit your self-defense claim if you do something to provoke the...
Lesson 12: Don’t start needless arguments.
Many self-defense incidents begin with sharp words. Arguments can escalate quickly, especially when pride, ego, or...
Lesson 13: Don’t assume an aggressor is rational.
Not every perceived aggressor will be thinking clearly. An attacker might be drunk, high, injured, disoriented,...
Lesson 14: Don’t leave a place of safety to confront a threat.
Self-defense is about escaping danger, not seeking it out. If you leave a safe place to confront someone, it becomes...
Lesson 15: Don’t stand your ground.
Most states no longer require you to retreat from a threat before using deadly force, but the concept of a duty to...
Lesson 16: Don’t return to the fight.
If you manage to escape a confrontation, don’t go back. Returning to the fight—especially if you’ve armed...
Lesson 17: Don’t follow an aggressor.
When an aggressor retreats, let them go. Chasing after someone—whether it’s an intruder, an angry neighbor, or a...
Lesson 18: Respond proportionally to unarmed threats.
The law requires that the level of force you use is proportional to the threat you face. If someone attacks without a...
Lesson 19: Understand less-lethal options.
Deadly force should always be the last resort—used only when no alternative will safely break contact with the...
Lesson 20: De-escalate with verbal cues.
Verbal cues—like asking someone to stay back or signaling that you don’t want to engage—can help you assess a...
Lesson 21: Don’t brandish your firearm.
Brandishing a firearm—showing or pointing it to intimidate someone—is considered the threat of deadly force under...
Lesson 22: Defensive display is a viable alternative.
Defensive display is the purposeful presentation of a firearm to stop an imminent threat. When used deliberately and...
Lesson 23: Don’t detain people at gunpoint.
Holding someone at gunpoint may feel like a powerful way to control an encounter with a potentially violent criminal,...
Lesson 24: Don’t fire warning shots.
The law treats an unjustified gunshot as the use of deadly force—even if no one gets hurt. Firing a gun into the air...
Lesson 25: Beware of using deadly force to protect others.
The law may allow you to use deadly force to protect others, but doing so can carry serious risks. If you intervene in...
Lesson 26: Don’t use deadly force to protect property.
The law allows the use of deadly force for the protection of people, not things. Unless someone’s life is in...
Lesson 27: Don’t open the door to trouble.
One of the most dangerous places for an armed defender is at their own front door. Opening the door to a stranger—or...
Lesson 28: Don’t shoot through doors.
Firing through a closed door is rarely justified. Even if someone on the other side is yelling or pounding, you usually...
Lesson 29: Find your hard corner.
If someone breaks into your home, don’t wait for them at the front door—move to a defensible position. A hard...
Lesson 30: Call 911.
After a self-defense encounter, call 911 as soon as it’s safe to do so. Tell the dispatcher that you were attacked...
Lesson 31: Don’t give in-depth statements to police.
After a self-defense incident, you should identify yourself to first responders, claim self-defense, and cooperate with...
Lesson 32: Claim self-defense.
If you use deadly force to protect yourself, you need to say so clearly. Without an affirmative self-defense claim,...
Lesson 33: Don’t say foolish things.
What you say—before, during, or after a self-defense incident—can be used against you. Social media posts, offhand...
Lesson 34: Self-defense cannot be accidental.
A self-defense claim is an affirmative legal defense. It means your use of force must be a deliberate act meant to stop...
Lesson 35: You’re responsible for every bullet.
When you fire your weapon, you are legally and morally responsible for every round. Bullets can miss, overpenetrate, or...
Lesson 36: Avoid the fight.
The best way to stay safe and avoid legal jeopardy is to avoid the violent confrontation in the first place. Most...