- any defence must be proportionate to the threat posed.
We have a stand your ground law that says if you are in fear of your life you can shoot to kill the threat, especially inside your home.
The threat is that the perp is in my house (he has just committed a felony) (with a chance of committing another one) with a threat to kill my family so proportionate action in my defense would be to eliminate the threat before the threat eliminated me.
There are no rules in a knife or gun fight when initiated by the bad guy.
Only a limp wristed soy boy would stand there with his mouth open wetting his pants wondering what was going to happen next.
If someone is merely inside your house
That is an automatic four years in prison in the U.S.A. and if a guy disregards that fact in committing said felony then he sure the hell isn't worried about cutting you up with a knife or raping your daughter.
I sure the hell am not going to give him the chance for me to find out the hard way. CA BOOM !
There is not a jury in this country that would even begin to entertain the fact that I was guilty of murder.
Most likely I would be honored as the hometown hero.