Can you use deadly force to defend another in Florida?
Yes, and determining when you can do so is easy. Place yourself in the “shoes” of the third person. If the law would allow them to use force or deadly force to protect themselves, you can defend them. You can use the same level of force to protect another as they could use to protect themselves. In fact, Florida law specifies “or another” when talking about defending yourself from death or great bodily harm. Further, you can “Stand Your Ground” when protecting another to the same extent as if protecting yourself. To learn more about Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Laws watch our video at – Firearm Firm Stand Your Ground Video or read our blog post : Firearm Firm Stand Your Ground Post.
Example:
Steve walks into a convenience store and see the cashier being forced to empty the register at gun point. He pulls out his gun and kills the robber.
In this example, since the clerk had a right to use deadly force in his own defense, a third party (Steve, in this example) would have a right to use deadly force to protect him. Since the clerk was being threatened with deadly force, Steve had a right to defend him with deadly force.
To learn more about defending others, visit: Firearm Firm Blog Post on Defending Others
We strongly believe that gun owners should be armed and educated. All gun owners should learn about their rights and responsibilities. We speak at seminars throughout the state of Florida. U.S. LawShield subsidizes the cost of these seminars so that you only pay $10.00 to attend. Come see us speak at Active Shooter and Gun Law Seminars. For a complete schedule visit www.gunlawseminar.com. Further, if you have any questions about Florida Gun Law, or any other firearm related questions, visit our website, search our knowledge base, or leave a question for us to answer.
The Firearm Firm is a statewide Second Amendment and Self-Defense law firm proudly serving the people of the State of Florida.