The legal aspects of self-defense can get very complex very fast. That being said, I just wanted to quickly summarize the main aspects of how the law (in general - every state has different details) looks at defending one’s self when under attack.
Legal Aspects:
Imminence: The threat must be immediate and happening now - the threat must be present and not happening in the future. The person using force must reasonably believe they are in imminent danger, based on the specific circumstances. Courts will consider factors like the aggressor's behavior, presence of weapons, and proximity to the defender when evaluating imminence.
Proportionality: The force used in self-defense should be proportionate to the threat. The assessment of the threat is crucial. It involves considering the nature of the attack, the attacker's actions, and the surrounding circumstances to determine the appropriate level of force. The disparity of force concept acknowledges that even without a weapon, an attacker may pose a deadly threat due to factors like size, strength, or multiple attackers.
Reasonableness: The response must be something a reasonable person would do in the same situation. Reasonableness refers to the level of force used by an individual in response to a perceived threat, and whether that force was justified under the circumstances. The "reasonable person" standard is often used to assess this: would a reasonable person, in the same situation, have acted in the same way?
EXAMPLES:
(1) If someone is verbally threatened by another person, using physical force to defend oneself would likely be considered unreasonable.
(2) If someone is being attacked with fists, using a baseball bat to defend oneself might be considered reasonable. However, using a gun in that same situation might be considered excessive, unless the attacker is also armed or there is a significant disparity in size and strength.Duty to Retreat: Some jurisdictions require you to retreat if it is safe to do so. In jurisdictions with this rule, a person must retreat if they can do so safely before using deadly force. The opposite to this are jurisdictions with Stand Your Ground. These laws eliminate the duty to retreat, allowing individuals to use deadly force in self-defense without needing to retreat, even if they could do so safely. These laws vary by state.
TIP: research your local state’s laws about what is considered legal action. Not knowing is not an valid defense in court.