Self-Defense, Armed

Self-defense serves as a legal justification in which the action taken was the “right” or “good” thing to do, given the circumstances of the situation. To advance a claim of self-defense, the danger to the individual must be imminent, and the force used must be both necessary and proportional. The individual must [Page 1290]reasonably believe that the amount of force used is necessary, without being excessive, to prevent great bodily harm or death. The instrument used in armed self-defense can take a lethal form, such as a gun or knife, or nonlethal form, such as pepper spray or handheld stun gun. However, these two categories are not exclusive. Self-defense can also be unarmed, in which an individual learns an array of techniques, specifically martial ...