How Not to Deal with a Threat

[Grenadier]

"Duty to retreat" laws vary from state to state, from situation to situation, and from location to location.

Several states have passed legislation that confirms that folks do NOT have a duty to retreat when confronted, and can match the bad guy "force for force." Here in Alabama, we have what is commonly known as "stand your ground" laws in place:

http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/13A-3-23.htm

Section 13A-3-23

Use of force in defense of a person.

(a) A person is justified in using physical force upon another person in order to defend himself or herself or a third person from what he or she reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force by that other person, and he or she may use a degree of force which he or she reasonably believes to be necessary for the purpose.

In the above situation, had this occurred in Alabama, he would have been justified, as the presence of multiple assailants armed with melee weapons is certainly an unlawful physical threat.

Maryland does have a weak castle doctrine law in place, but does not have a "stand your ground" law in place. If anything, you have a duty to retreat just about anywhere, and you cannot use deadly force to protect your property.

The castle doctrine only covers inside one's dwelling for that particular state, and may not necessarily apply to guests, etc, if I read their law correctly (one of the reasons why I would refuse to live there).


However, in localities, such as the cesspool known as Washington DC, there is no such thing as a stand your ground law, and to make things worse, there are no castle doctrine laws in place, either. Criminal paradise...