Q: I showed a bb gun to scare off a person that was trying to fight me in front of my 4 year old daughter is that self def.
A:
The answer to your questions depends on a lot of additional information, such as the following: where this occurred (public property vs. your property), the demeanor of the person and whether your actions would be deemed 'reasonable' under the circumstances, whether the person themselves had a gun when they were trying to 'fight' you, and the overall perception of whether this person's actions (with or without a weapon) would place a parent like you in fear of imminent harm unless you resorted to extreme weapons measures.
Generally speaking, pulling a gun (BB or not) on an unarmed person is not "reasonable" under the law. But, again, this is a very fact-dependent assessment and you would benefit from discussing it privately with a lawyer. Do not post anything further online.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
