Lesson 4: The threat must be imminent and serious.

Deadly force is only justified when you—or someone you’re protecting—face an imminent threat of great bodily harm or death. That means the attacker must have the ability, opportunity, and intent to cause serious injury, and the threat must be happening right now. If any one of those elements is missing, the legal justification for using deadly force may not exist. When you make your legal self-defense claim, you’ll need to clearly articulate why you believed the threat was both real and immediate.