A criminal adversary must have, or reasonably appear to have:
1. the ability to inflict serious bodily injury (he is armed or reasonably appears to be armed with a deadly weapon),
2. the opportunity to inflict serious bodily harm (he is physically positioned to harm you with his weapon), and
3. his intent (hostile actions or words) indicates that he means to place you in jeopardy -- to do you serious or fatal physical harm.
When all three of these "attack potential" elements are in place simultaneously, then you are facing a reasonably perceived deadly threat that can justify an emergency deadly force response.
This has always confused me! I have a concealed carry permit, and carry most of the time that I legally can, and try to be as informed as possible, but this REALLY confuses me...!
A person cannot be considered to be a threat to my life or serious bodily harm to me, unless they are armed with a weapon, such as a gun, knife, crow bar or baseball bat?!?! and that weapon is VISIBLE to me? Otherwise I am legally required to flee?!?
I am 49 years old. I have back problems. I can walk for reasonably long distances (10 miles or more, a few times a year, for exercise) and move fairly quickly for short distances like 10-15 feet, but outrunning a younger assailant is pretty unlikely.
So all the assailant has to do when I see him - 40 feet away - as I'm walking back to my car, 110 feet away, is to be able to outrun me to my car, and keep his straight razor in his pocket until it is too late for me to draw and fire?
What if there are two or three of them - unarmed? Anybody ever get killed or suffer serious body harm from somebody's bare hands? or boots? You ever see anybody kicking someone in the head when they were lying on the ground?
Don't send flowers to my funeral - it will be too late for me. Please make a contribution to the NRA instead.