If someone enters your home in the middle of the night and threatens you or your family, are you able to use the firearm you have in your to defend yourself? What about the gun you carry in your car as you and your family travel to grandmother’s house for the holidays? If you have a flat tire and someone else stops–not to render aid but to cause harm—may you use your firearm in self-defense then without first trying to retreat? When can you use force, including deadly force such as using a firearm, to protect yourself or your loved ones? In short, it depends on the situation and in what state you live as the applicable law differs from states to state. “Self-defense” in one state, especially using deadly force, can rise to the level of being charged with a murder, manslaughter or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge in another. Thus, if you own a firearm, it is paramount that you familiarize yourself with your state’s law regarding the use of firearms, especially in self-defense.
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