Extra: When Is It Okay For You To Use Lethal Force?
The right to ‘self-defense’ is a basic American right, but can be complicated.
“Stand your ground” laws and the “castle doctrine” are in effect in multiple states to allow citizens to protect themselves from potential harm or deter would-be intruders from their homes.
However, self-defense laws like these have come under scrutiny recently after a string of apparent accidental shootings.
Two high-profile examples include a Black teenager in Kansas City, Missouri who was shot after ringing the doorbell at the wrong address. And in Upstate New York, a young woman was shot and killed after the car she was in mistakenly pulled into the wrong driveway.
In these cases, both of the shooters have pleaded not guilty, citing self-defense.
These tragic incidents have many asking when citizens can legally use deadly force to protect themselves.
Former Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and FOX News Contributor Andy McCarthy joined The FOX News Rundown’s Lisa Brady to discuss how broad the right to self-defense is in America.
McCarthy explained how these laws vary by state, and whether juries are typically sympathetic to defendants who claim self-defense. He also weighed in on some early facts of the recent cases that sparked this debate.
Due to time limitations, we had to air the entire interview in two separate segments. On the FOX News Rundown Extra, you will hear the entire conversation with former Prosecutor Andy McCarthy and learn even more about how complex self-defense cases are and how frequently tragedies like the ones we have in Missouri and New York occur.
