Self Defense
 

I came across an interesting story awhile back about a situation and now I have a question.

If a son finds a father with a violent history bashing his mother's head into the floor, and is perfectly capable of killing the mother through that action, does the son have the right to stab or bash the father with any weapon available to stop the father?

You'll hear no objections from me. Go for it!

i don't know if he has the right or not. But my step-dad stopped once when i came at him with an axe handle. And then that other time when i walked in with a .410 loaded with slugs. Those were at my respective breaking points.

Ah to be a scared teenager.

Any thing available until the father is uncapable of harming the woman.

Legally you don't. You live in a country where hurting a man for putting the life of your sane legal guardian at serious risk through actual physical violence has less acceptability than shooting someone for looking at you funny.

Not true you can legally defend someone, with force, if they are in eminent danger and you fear for their life, both of which would be true if their head was being bashed into the floor.

Same logic paths are the reasons I agree with most ALF actions.
Ethically I'm ok with it. Ethically, I would praise it.

Defense of third person is a well established affirmative defense to homicide. If the kid reasonably believes that lethal force is being used against his mother, he can resort to lethal force himself and it's not a crime.

I agreed.

::hands up::

I'm not sure if it's legal or not. Most probably not. Ethical, in my opinion yes.
I once got into a fight with my dad because he hit my mother with a frying pan. I punched him in the gut and the throat and then headbutted him in the nose.

+100 badass points.

jack_the_knife level up!
Gained +1 STR
Gained +3 HP

Depends on where you are. If you're in the U.S., then I can answer:

Yes. Legally, it is the actual responsibility of the witness to do what they can to stop a murder from being committed without endangering themselves. Otherwise, it's known as Inaction. It sometimes counts as Manslaughter, I think.

Where are you in Chicago vja? I forget if it was you I asked before.

The ALF never use violence and won't proceed with an action if it endangers anyone, including vivisectionists.

I'd say to go ahead and stop him with whatever you can, but use as minimal force as possible.

Appologies for reviving a dead thread, but I just had to throw my two cents in here.
I believe in the defense of a third person, yes.
Hell, if that was my Mum in that situation, I'd grba the nearest knife and stab the bastard, screw the consequences. If he was going to kill my Mum, then I'd rather he was dead and I was in jail for manslaughter than my Mum being dead and him in jail. Jail isn't good enough for arseholes like that.
But seriously. If your lfie or the life of another person is in serious danger, what the Hell else are you supposed to do? Let the person who's threatening your life or the life of another do it? I think not.
I'm sorry, but in my eyes, it's either kill or be killed.
That is the only point when I'd break the Law. Is if my life or the life of another was in danger.

Well done! Good job there mate!

Trust me its easier to just do and question later. Especially when legality and ethics can lead to the murder of your mom... When in doubt its always easier to hide bodies then explain to a jury.

Yes. I would avoid violence if I could, but if her life was on the line then screw it. I'd do whatever it took to keep her safe. Even if the law WAS against it (which it’s not, as vja mentioned), I wouldn’t hesitate to act in defense of someone I love.