TDB: With Guns, the Threatened Can Quickly Become the Threat

[Lurks Often]

8. The legal threshold

is a reasonable fear of death or grave bodily harm. A jury will decide based on a lot more information then has currently been reported, whether Reeves was justified in feeling that way or not.

Another relevant legal term is disparity of force, in this case, did Reeves, at 71 years old, maybe with physical impairments not reported, reasonably (something that the jury will decide) believe that a man almost 30 years younger and by current reports much larger and in decent physical shape, be capable of hurting Reeves with his bare hands beyond Reeves ability to defend himself without resorting to a firearm.

Simplified, it's the principle that allows someone 5 feet tall or someone suffering a physical disability to shoot a larger, healthy unarmed attacker.

I am NOT saying Reeves is innocent. I am also not saying he is guilty. There is a lot of information about this none of us are aware of and won't come out until the trial.

Having said that, based on what HAS been reported, Reeves is probably going to jail.