California: At It AGAIN
By Gregory Kielma
Smoke Shop Robbery Foiled
Smoke Shop Robbery Foiled
In Norwalk, California, a smoke shop owner was confronted by four armed men attempting to rob his store. When the owner resisted, one of the robber's pepper-sprayed him. The shop’s co-owner then came to his business partner’s aid, drawing his firearm and shooting one of the robbers in the chest. The criminals fled the scene, but the wounded robber collapsed in a nearby alley. Police transported him to a local hospital, where he later died.
In Review
Every state has different laws regarding self-defense, but here is my analysis of this case:
Legal:
In California, deadly force is justified when a person reasonably believes he or she is in danger of death or great bodily harm and the threat is apparent, present and immediate, requiring an instant response.
The threat was apparent in the form of four armed men and became immediate when one of them pepper-sprayed the smoke shop’s owner. The store’s co-owner responded immediately to defend his business partner.
As of the time of writing, no charges have been filed.
Tactical:
It’s likely the defender had some form of self-defense training. He demonstrated tactical patience by waiting until his business partner was pepper-sprayed and the robbers were distracted before drawing his handgun and opening fire. He also refrained from pursuing the criminals as they fled the store, again indicating that he was likely trained in appropriate defensive response.
Training:
It’s hard to argue against the tactics the co-owner employed. He exercised tactical patience by not drawing immediately in the face of a gun already pointed at him.
How can business owners prepare for potential robberies? What are the key considerations when deciding to use lethal force in defense of property?
Please let me know.