Attorney Joey Hamby Explains When Self-Defense Shooting Should Stop

The Armory Life asked criminal defense attorney Joey Hamby of Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm how many shots are too many in a self-defense shooting. His answer, as the outlet reports it, is that there is no set number and each case turns on its facts.

Key points

• Three tests: Hamby agrees with trainers who teach firing until the threat is neutralized, but says each shot is weighed for reasonableness, imminence and proportionality.
• Caliber is not the measure: In his example, if one well-placed .22 pistol shot ends the threat, firing should stop; if three .44 Magnum rounds have not, continuing is probably reasonable.
• Wound counts: Hamby said a prosecutor may read the number of bullet wounds as a sign of excessive force, and that police and prosecutors may lack the training to judge these encounters.
• Gun appearance: He said officers, prosecutors, judges or jurors may be biased against guns that look "scary," which can drive an investigation or charges.
• Proportionality: Hamby said the real question is whether the person attacking is capable of killing or badly injuring the victim, even with bare fists.

Quick take

Hamby told The Armory Life that shooters often fire several times without knowing how many shots they fired or landed, and that the main visual cue is usually the threat ending. His bottom line, per the outlet, is that shots fired after the threat is neutralized carry a risk of criminal and civil liability.

Read the full story at The Armory Life.