Protecting You, Your Faimily, Your Property -PART 4
GULF SHORES Ala.
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media
April 16, 2025
The hardening of your physical security, awareness, vigilance, training, and knowledge are all part of keeping yourself and your family safe.
The use of electronic security devices such as burglar alarms and surveillance cameras are helpful to a certain degree but aren’t meant to be reactive in times of trouble such as a break-in, or a theft of your property.
Alarms are for notifications. An alert that there may be a problem at your property and cameras only memorialize an incident, they can’t physically change an outcome.
Many across the country and here locally, even those who once said that they would never own a firearm, have now purchased handguns or other firearms to protect their family.
Firearm ownership is a right that comes with responsibility including understanding how it works, how to carry, store, and use the weapon, and when you legally can use the firearm to protect yourself or others.
The use of any form of lethal force under the law can only be used in Alabama when a person reasonably believes it’s necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm to themselves or others, or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.
The word imminent means immediate, and there’s no time to escape or to use other means of protecting yourself.
Other components of the law that make lethal force legal include:
a. that the person not only threatened to do bodily harm but had the means and opportunity to do so.
b. that the situation was fluid and that you are in fear of your life
For instance, a person standing in your yard threatening to kill you is a threat but may not be a lethal force situation. If his hands are empty, there is no firearm visible and there’s no additional information to believe that the person has a firearm, lethal force may not be justified.
Other situations where lethal force may not be warranted would be property theft. An example of this is when someone has entered your vehicle and is stealing miscellaneous items. While this is a crime where reasonable force could be used to detain the person until police arrive. It would not be a lethal use of force situation with the information known.
Alabama does have a Stand Your Ground law that allows citizens to defend themselves and others if they feel that they are in danger.
Use of deadly force is allowed if the person feels they are in immediate danger and believes it’s necessary to defend themselves.
There is no duty to retreat.
The law gives a judge the ability to determine absolute immunity in civil and criminal prosecution.
A person is presumed under Alabama Law to be justified in using deadly force if they are defending against imminent physical harm to themselves or another.
This includes the use of lethal force when someone has broken into the home of a person.
It is presumed that this is an imminent threat and Alabama law allows the homeowner to use lethal force to protect themselves and their family.
Most of the time, crimes and threats against a person will happen suddenly, and decisions to use force of any level must be made in split seconds.
Training, education, practice, and being able to assess the situation immediately upon being confronted with it, will help you to make the best decision and save your life or the lives of others.
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