Violent crimes are some of the crimes most looked down upon by society. They range from simple fights to homicides and first-degree murders. When people become violent, they put themselves and others in danger. One wrong move could lead to injuries that are irreversible.
Victims of violent crimes do have a right to pursue a claim against the person responsible. However, as the person facing those claims and charges against you, it’s your right to do whatever you can to fight back.
Those who commit violent crimes do have defensive options that they can use to have the charges lowered or eliminated completely. One of the most common is showing that you had no other choice but to react in a violent manner. This, the self-defense defense, could help you show that you had to react in the way you did to protect yourself or others around you.
With the self-defense claim, you need to meet a few requirements. Each state has rules about when you’re allowed to use self-defense to protect yourself and in what way. For example, if you fear harm coming to yourself or others because someone walks into a bank with a gun, it would be realistic to have someone shoot the person who comes in out of fear. However, if you see someone walk up behind you and fear him or her for no reason, then shooting him or her is not legal and may not be considered self-defense. Our site has more on self-defense claims and what you can do to defend yourself if you’re accused of committing a violent crime.