Jim Yanik wrote:

Use of deadly force against a simple trespasser alone is never
justified.

how do you KNOW that a trespasser is a "simple" trespasser?
Can you read minds?


Good question. The question that goes to the police, the prosecutor, and,
perhaps ultimately, to the jury is: "Would a reasonable person in the same
or similar circumstances have concluded the trespasser was a threat?"

If the trespasser is in MY bedroom at 3:00 a.m., wearing a mask and armed
with a chainsaw, each of the above evaluators would probably tilt in one
direction. If, however, the deceased is a letter-carrier with a
signature-required letter in one hand and my door-knocker gripped in the
other, the decision might tip in the other way.

On the situations that fall between these two extremes, its probably best to
shoot first and tell the cops: "He screamed he was going to kill me!"

Actually, it's probably better to tell the cops nothing. And there's no
requirement that you even HAVE to even CALL the cops. Maybe after the ball
game...