Caveat: I'm a lawyer, but I'm not a Georgia lawyer, and I'm not
your lawyer. This post isn't legal advice. Relying on free advice, given by random, unknown people on the internet can be risky, particularly when your question is: "When can I shoot someone?"[/caveat]
With that said, and as others have noted, self-defense doctrines are matters of state law. A quick internet search turned up the following for Georgia:
Quote:
O.C.G.A. 16-3-21 (2010)
16-3-21. Use of force in defense of self or others; evidence of belief that force was necessary in murder or manslaughter prosecution
(a) A person is justified in threatening or using force against another when and to the extent that he or she reasonably believes that such threat or force is necessary to defend himself or herself or a third person against such other's imminent use of unlawful force; however, except as provided in Code Section 16-3-23, a person is justified in using force which is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm only if he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury to himself or herself or a third person or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.
(b) A person is not justified in using force under the circumstances specified in subsection (a) of this Code section if he:
(1) Initially provokes the use of force against himself with the intent to use such force as an excuse to inflict bodily harm upon the assailant;
(2) Is attempting to commit, committing, or fleeing after the commission or attempted commission of a felony; or
(3) Was the aggressor or was engaged in a combat by agreement unless he withdraws from the encounter and effectively communicates to such other person his intent to do so and the other, notwithstanding, continues or threatens to continue the use of unlawful force. . . . .<edited for brevity>
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Source:
http://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/...cle-2/16-3-21/
Note that there are other relevant statutes out there that would need to be examined by someone licensed to practice in Georgia, but that looks like the primary one.