justifiable homicide
Legally permitted killing
Justifiable homicide is a killing that the law excuses or approves—typically self-defense against an imminent threat, defense of others, or a law enforcement officer using deadly force to prevent a violent felony.
The term is legal rather than colloquial: The shooting was ruled a justifiable homicide.
It distinguishes lawful killing from murder or manslaughter.
- affirmative defenseDefendant's excuse admitting act
- stand your groundRefuse to back down
- executionCompleting a planned task
- proportionalityScaling relationship between quantities
- castle doctrineRight to defend home forcefully
diminished capacity · defense of others · crime of passion · self-defense · heat of passion · shooting · involuntary manslaughter · legal immunity · imminent threat · home invasion · police shooting · reasonable force · use of force · reasonable belief · deadly force · provocation · fear for life · lethal force
- homicidemurder rate, murder rates, manslaughter, felony murder, second degree murder
- homicide lawmurder charge, manslaughter, first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter
- killingsmurder for hire, manslaughter, killing, assassination, first-degree murder
- self-defenseself-defense, martial arts, self-protection, karate, pepper spray
justifiable homicidemurder
Deliberate unlawful killing
unlawful killing · premeditated murder · first-degree murder · capital murder · felony murder
justifiable homicideaggravated murder
Killing with enhancing circumstances
unprovoked attack · slaughter · massacre · atrocity · war crime
justifiable homicidegratuitous violence
Excessive harm without justification
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