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 only have the ability and intent to cause harm, they must also have the opportunity to carry it out right now. If you act too soon, before the danger is imminent, you may lose your legal justification. A jury may wonder why you didn’t take the time to try to escape or to use a less lethal option to end the confrontation.