Goblin 0, ATM customer 1

[Aglifter]

I agree. Making a not good situation worse by leaving.

Yes/No/Maybe. It is, probably, best to contact the police immediately, but I don't know that I would stick around an ATM where I just shot a robber, in case the goblin had an accomplice...

[Precision]

I agree. Making a not good situation worse by leaving.

Yes/No/Maybe. It is, probably, best to contact the police immediately, but I don't know that I would stick around an ATM where I just shot a robber, in case the goblin had an accomplice...

I don't argue that, but there is a difference between leaving while on 911 and just LEAVING and hiding under your pillow.

[Netpackrat]

Playing devil's advocate for a moment, exactly what law (in the jurisdiction in question) says you have to contact the police after being involved in a self-defense shooting? A justified shoot is a justified shoot. I'm not going to argue whether it is a good idea or not to just disappear, but is there actually a law that compels reporting it?

[Catbird]

Playing devil's advocate for a moment, exactly what law (in the jurisdiction in question) says you have to contact the police after being involved in a self-defense shooting? A justified shoot is a justified shoot. I'm not going to argue whether it is a good idea or not to just disappear, but is there actually a law that compels reporting it?

There was a discussion of this exact question about a year ago at The High Road. One of the more salient points:

ZoogsterJuly 30, 2011, 03:02 PM
Actually in many jurisdictions you would be committing a crime because the actions of self defense are often a crime.

From a strictly legal standpoint most use of lethal force is illegal, but you have an 'affirmative defense' that erases your criminal culpability if found to be true.

This means you still committed a homicide, and homicide is generally unlawful, under a statute such as manslaughter. Without exercising your affirmative defense of self defense you would still have committed an unlawful manslaughter.

On the other hand:

barnetmillJuly 30, 2011, 03:52 PM
Well let's assume you report the incident as a good citizen.
Possible outcomes
There is little doubt that the police will investigate you and hopefully, but not 100% they will probably let you go.
But:
1- Wounded bad guy may have homies and now they know who you are.

2- You are cleared by the police, but still get get sued.

Say you run and later get arrested the police will investigate you and you might be more likely to get charged. But that is not certain. If apprehended later on you can say were were frightened out of your mind and panicked. Lawyer up. You will also have time to ditch the gun, deny you were, get your story together,
After the shooting or stabbing if there are host of witnesses, yeah stay and wait for the police. About witnesses there are large number of unsolved murders. In many neighborhoods no one sees anything.

It also depends on how well connected you are in that locale. The authorities go after some people more than they do for others.

I really can not say what is the smartest thing to do. Best thing is to avoid getting into victim scenario.

Even if there were a statute requiring you to report self-defence shooting, you would be protected by the fifth ammendment. Failing to report it however, makes it much harder to defend yourself against all the other crimes they will charge you with when the catch you.

As has been said before, "Whoever calls the police first gets to be the victim".

[Steamforger]

Update- Well, that didn't take long. The shooter is in custody. The shooter was also a convicted felon which goes a long way in explaining why he just got back in the car and headed out. I don't really see a grand jury getting a true bill for the shooting, being a righteous act of self defense, but being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm may hurt.

[Windy Wilson]

Goblin v felon? This is what the LAPD once called NHI (no humans involved).