From the Strib…..
NRA, legislators want right to fire in self-defense expanded
Gun rights advocates want Minnesotans to be free to stand their ground with deadly force against attackers anywhere, not just in their own homes.
Conrad deFiebre, Star Tribune
Last update: May 04, 2006 – 11:58 AM
NRA, legislators want right to fire in self-defense expanded
Having secured the right of most Minnesotans to carry firearms in public, gun rights advocates began moving Thursday to expand the legal freedom to shoot in self-defense.
A bill introduced by Republican legislators and backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) would allow the use of deadly force against an attacker anywhere citizens have a legal right to be, if they reasonably believe they face imminent danger of death or substantial bodily harm.
The legislation would codify and extend court decisions that already authorize deadly force against an intruder in one’s own home. It would eliminate a legal duty to retreat as a first line of self-defense and allow the use of “superior force” — a gun against an unarmed assailant, for example — “so long as the individual’s objective is defense.”
Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, said the measure, known as the “Castle Doctrine” or the “Stand Your Ground Law,” is needed to give law-abiding citizens more rights than those accorded violent criminals.
“This bill basically tells the bad guys: If you’re going to use illegal force, be prepared to face legal force,” he said at a State Capitol news conference.
Cornish introduced his bill in the House on Thursday, but said he will not seek to advance it until next year. Backed by the NRA and other gun-rights advocates, similar legislation has already been enacted in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi and South Dakota.
About 20 other states are considering the initiative, Cornish said.
Conrad deFiebre • 651-222-1673
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