Law of Self Defense

Why Andrew Lester's Shooting of Ralph Yarl Was Lawful!

April 19, 2023 Attorney Andrew F. Branca
Law of Self Defense
Why Andrew Lester's Shooting of Ralph Yarl Was Lawful!
Show Notes

As is common in high-profile, politically- and racially-charged shootings, I'm seeing an enormous amount of bad legal takes on whether the shooting of Ralph Yarl by Andrew Lester could possibly have been lawful.

In fact, Missouri law explicitly allows for the use of deadly defensive force under the circumstances in which Lester encountered Yarl, and we'll explore that in today's show.

One caveat--Yarl claims that the second time he was shot was while he was on the ground. I've seen no evidence to corroborate that claim, but there may well be forensic evidence decisive on that issue. If Yarl's claim is supported by the evidence, that second shot might be difficult to justify. 

Any shots fired while Yarl was upright and apparently attempting to unlawfully enter Lester's dwelling, however, were almost certainly lawful under Missouri law.

Interested in learning why? Join me LIVE at 1 PM ET!

#AndrewLester #ralphyarl

State v. Staughter, 643 S.W.3d 317 (MO Supreme Court 2022)
https://lawofselfdefense.com/straughter

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