In defense of others, which rule applies?

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Multiple Choice

In defense of others, which rule applies?

Defending another person operates under the same privilege as self-defense: you may intervene if you reasonably believe the person you’re protecting is in imminent danger of unlawful harm, and you may use force that is proportional to the threat to prevent that harm. Deadly force isn’t the only option—if nondeadly force would stop the danger, that can be enough. The danger must be imminent to the person being defended, not necessarily to you. There’s no universal duty to retreat before using force; many jurisdictions allow standing your ground when defending others.

Defending another person operates under the same privilege as self-defense: you may intervene if you reasonably believe the person you’re protecting is in imminent danger of unlawful harm, and you may use force that is proportional to the threat to prevent that harm. Deadly force isn’t the only option—if nondeadly force would stop the danger, that can be enough. The danger must be imminent to the person being defended, not necessarily to you. There’s no universal duty to retreat before using force; many jurisdictions allow standing your ground when defending others.

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