Expert: ‘Stand your ground’ argument invalid in recent shootings
- April has seen a string of "accidental" shootings of young people
- A legal analyst argues "stand your ground" laws don't apply in those cases
- He argues those laws require a person to act in self-defense
(NewsNation) — A recent string of shootings has sparked debate over “stand your ground” laws, and whether they can be used as a defense in accidental shootings.
Legal analyst and attorney Daryl Cohen joined “NewsNation Prime” to discuss the recent accidental shootings, saying none of them can be argued under “stand your ground” laws.
“The person using deadly force has to either be in imminent danger of being physically harmed or killed, or think he or she is. And in every one of these instances that I have seen, that is just not the case,” Cohen said.
In North Carolina, a man is accused of shooting a 6-year-old girl and her parents over a basketball that rolled into his yard. In New York, 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis was shot after pulling into the wrong driveway. In Florida, a couple was shot at after they ended up at the wrong house while trying to deliver groceries. In Texas, a high school cheerleader was shot in a parking lot because she accidentally tried to get into the wrong car.
“I don’t like what’s going on. It’s guns here, guns everywhere. And we have to really be very, very aware that you don’t just shoot people because you don’t like people or you think you don’t like people,” Cohen said.
Watch Cohen’s full interview in the player above.