Self-defense during riots?

[scruff]

It's looking more possible that we could have race riots, especially with the Zimmerman case. I'm thinking back to the Korean business owners in LA on their roofs during the riots. So I was wondering - if there's an angry mob coming to break into your house or loot your business, what can you legally do to defend yourself? Sure, there's the Castle Doctrine, but do you need to wait until they're already pouring into the building? By that time, it might be too late. What if they've already looted and burned neighboring buildings - could you fire on them as they approach? What if they've got Molotov cocktails in their hands? Protecting yourself and your home or business is great, but it would also be nice to not go to jail afterwards.

[GunLawyer001]

If you shoot and kill multiple rioters, you WILL go to jail if caught, and you'll stay there for a while. That's simple politics. And while you're in jail, awaiting court action, the survivors of the rioters that you shot will be looking at your home or business and thinking about how inflammable it looks....

As for convictions, it's always a fact question for a jury. If you see arsonists burning the first couple of buildings on your block, and they are heading for your occupied building with gasoline and torches, and you shoot some of those who are clearly involved (a shotgun against a man carrying a lit Molotov cocktail is one of those self-proving forensic cases), then if I personally were on your jury I'd vote to acquit. Others might disagree.

Firing from the sidelines to protect an empty building is a less attractive legal position than firing from the roof of the targeted structure. You want to be able to state that you feared for your life, or the lives of other innocent people. Claiming only that you were stopping a felony or protecting property is a weaker case (better than nothing, but weaker.)

Bottom line, you do what you can live with. If you honestly believe that if you don't open fire then you or your family or your neighbors may burn to death, then spending time in the legal system is a more attractive (or at least "less bad") alternative.

The Korean merchants reportedly exchanged fire with mobs of looters and rioters, but I didn't hear of any dead rioters left in the street. So the police and the DA left the Asian shooters alone. A dozen or so probably-black (from the footage I've seen) citizens lying dead in the street in front of "Kim's Hardware" would be politically difficult to ignore, as the Martin/Zimmerman altercation proves.

[Steve_NEPhila]

It's looking more possible that we could have race riots, especially with the Zimmerman case. I'm thinking back to the Korean business owners in LA on their roofs during the riots. So I was wondering - if there's an angry mob coming to break into your house or loot your business, what can you legally do to defend yourself? Sure, there's the Castle Doctrine, but do you need to wait until they're already pouring into the building? By that time, it might be too late. What if they've already looted and burned neighboring buildings - could you fire on them as they approach? What if they've got Molotov cocktails in their hands? Protecting yourself and your home or business is great, but it would also be nice to not go to jail afterwards.

When we are talking riots, they usually involve local populations... think your neighbors. The LA riots in the 1990's were in very poor crime ridden neighborhoods. If you live in a neighborhood like that, it may be a concern. If that concern is valid for you may I make suggestion, flee! Have a plan to leave and make it work.

Unless you live in Watts, Camden, North Philadelphia or somewhere similar, this is really mostly hype. There will be little to no rioting for the Zimmerman debacle. What little there may be will be isolated to poor urban areas. In the political climate we have created for ourselves, can you imagine any effective self defense during a riot that would not be persecuted by the Angela Corey types??? Add to that a very likely prosecution by the Federal authorities for hate crimes (because that makes sense, right) and you have one nasty outcome.

Buy really good insurance and have a plan of escape.

[BoogerDog]

I have to agree with all the above responses. The little town of Coaldale won't see riots anywhere near the scale like Philly would. So it's a matter of the number of angry people versus the total number of people. So if any sympathizers in Coaldale wanted in on the destruction, they probably would leave their small town and join up in "the cause" in Philly.

The bright side - Coaldale won't have a riot. The down side - one more protester in Philly.

[das]

I understand where Gunlawyer and Steve are coming from and it is good advice. However who the hell do these people that riot and loot think they are? And better yet why are they protected for openly committing crimes? And the whole hate crime thing. why is that a one way street? White hurts black=hate crime. Black hurts white=misunderstood. It is all politically correct bullsh*t. This is what the libs have turned this situation into. If by chance some sort of civil unrest occurs for whatever reason one should be allowed to protect his or her family and home at the cost of whatever body count the mob chooses to give. If they dont belong where you live and are obviously there for some sort of twisted retribution they rolled the dice. There really is no need for investigation after that sweep them up and hopefully any survivers have learned a valuable lesson. Im getting really fed up with people who have worked hard for what they have always having to walk on eggshells as not to offend people like these A hole Black Panthers or some sensitive welfare mother with 10 kids. Enough already.