self defense

[EmperorNero]

I take tae kwon do and my instructor puts a lot of emphasis on self-defense. but I was reading Black Belt Magazine the other day and it was warning readers to be careful since a victim can be criminally charged or sued if he uses self defense. is that true?

- Under what circumstances could self-defense be used without the threat of being sued or criminally charged?

- What kind of legal trouble can I get into if one of the following happened where a guy comes to attack me out of the blue (to steal money, for example):

1) My life is not threatened but I neutralize him without causing any real injuries, such as throwing him to the ground (my instructor incorporates some judo moves)

2) My life is threatened (for example, he had a knife and was more than ready to use it) but I neutralize him without causing any real injuries

3) Life threatened and I killed the guy

4) Life not threatend and I killed the guy

5) Life threatened and I injured the guy permanently (for example, kicking him in the knee and breaking it so it will not heal right)

6) Life not threatened and I injure the guy permanently

If state law varies, I live in Ohio for your information.

and I'm not asking this so I can pick a fight with someone on the street and claim self-defense..but I would like to know what could happen to me (in terms of legality) if I use self-defense on the street.

 

[konichiwa]

Sorry man, I saw some Bruce Lee films, would that help?

 

[Wallydraigle]

You can be sued for anything at any time. I could sue you for hitting me with your car Friday night. You would still have to go to court, and I might win! On a more serious note, if the attacker is dead he cannot sue you. But then his family might want some court action, but that's less likely after you've already offed someone who pissed you off the wrong way you know?

 

[glenn1]

Most jurisdictions state simply that you must react to a perceived threat with no more than least 'reasonable' amount of action (lethal force in particular) in order to neutralize that threat and protect yourself. Ergo, the amount of threat you are presented with, for the most part, determines what type of reaction you are legally justified in taking. That means if an avenue exists for you to exit the situation without force (leaving the scene), you should always do so. Each progressive level of action will be examined and considered by a jury as being an action which a "reasonable person" would do. So, there is no cut-and-dried answer for your question.

 

[bigdog1218]

if your a black belt your considered a dangerous weapon and can get in trouble in any situation if you use excessive force, so no matter what, if you kill the guy you'll probably be in trouble

just my opinion but tae kwon do wouldn't really help you in a street fight, you should try aikido, or a type of kung fu like wing chun, they are much more interesting too