The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - If a person shoots and kills a person in self defense....

Skans · December 29, 2009, 06:12 PM

If a person shoots and kills a bad guy in self defense, does the law require the shooter to turn himself in to the police? Or even report the incident?

The reason I ask this is because it seems contrary to the Constitutional right to the 5th Amendment where a person is not required to divulge information to the Police which may incriminate him in a crime. In at least some states, the shooting of a person is considered a crime, to which self defense is merely an affirmative defense to the crime. Does anyone know the answer to this?

December 29, 2009, 06:12 PM	#1
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 6,256	If a person shoots and kills a person in self defense.... If a person shoots and kills a bad guy in self defense, does the law require the shooter to turn himself in to the police? Or even report the incident? The reason I ask this is because it seems contrary to the Constitutional right to the 5th Amendment where a person is not required to divulge information to the Police which may incriminate him in a crime. In at least some states, the shooting of a person is considered a crime, to which self defense is merely an affirmative defense to the crime. Does anyone know the answer to this?