Could he be construed as protecting or defending his friends/co workers though? In other words, what is the burden of self-defense? Is it only ok to defend yourself? Can you defend others? In the article, it says he say guns pinted at his friends/coworkers. Is gunpointing enough of a hostile or endangering/threatening act?
For example, if a robber is holding your family at gunpoint and you come home, then I would think you are well within your rights to take action (with a gun).
Was it vigilantist behavior or was it justified self-defense? It's this grey area that is problematic (at least for me).
Considering that people get off for shooting trick-or-treaters* under the guise of "trespassing", then I would think an actual self-defense case like this one would not give the guy a hard time.
*There was a case of some kids (foreign exchange students) that went trick-or-treating (on Halloween) in Louisiana and were shot by some homeowner who claimed they were trespassing (there was no sign or fence, they just walked up to his front door). One of the kids died and the guy got off scot-free. If this is ok, then the robbery case should definitely be ok.
|