Duty to Retreat Sucked
There was a societal good being served by sparing and running away from violent criminals?!
--My thoughts exactly when I first learned of this stupid law the hard way when I was 18; no gun involved.
Picture this: January, 1992: The short of it was, this big, old, teamster-looking guy in a parking lot started some trouble, kicked my car and then took a swing at me. His punch missed, but none of mine did. Problem was, the jackass didn't know when to quit, and kept getting back up to fight. I thought I had better leave before I had to kill the idiot. Well, of course, a lot of upright, concerned citizens (none of whom saw him attack me, or lifted a finger to help who they thought was the apparent "victim") took down my tag and called the police. Not a bright move, leaving the scene, I now realize, but I was 18...
Anyway, when I called the police back to my house (I didn't go directly home and they had left a business card) there were enough police cars in my yard that it looked like a friggin drug raid. I remember one of the cops asking me if I feared the man that attacked me, to which I replied, "yes". Then the cop asked, "so why didn't you run?" I thought this was a stupid question, but I replied honestly and said, "I face my fears, I don't run from them". I was then informed of this whole "duty to retreat" BS. I had never heard of anything so stupid in my life. I thought this through for the next few days (in the Pinellas County Hilton) and it still made no sense. Basically, the message the government was sending was that criminals could assault and/or batter anyone they pleased and all law-abiding citizens could do was run or cower in fear.
Well, it took 13 years, but they finally see it my way here in good ol' FLA.