# Being armed - or even learning self-defense - increases the chance you'll be harmed **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 1, 2020, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-armed-or-even-learning-self-defense-increases-the-chance-youll-be-harmed/919548 "2020-09-01T19:32:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 39
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-armed-or-even-learning-self-defense-increases-the-chance-youll-be-harmed/919548/39 "2020-09-03T23:18:31Z")
@pullin You make excellent points about the legal ramifications. As I mentioned upthread Gray\_Ghost as well as many others went over this in great detail in an earlier thread: and boy do local jurisdictions make a huge difference in what is justified as ‘defense’. If you’re curious, the thread is > [@If you shoot someone in self-defense are you better off (from a legal standpoint) to kill the person rather than wound them?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-shoot-someone-in-self-defense-are-you-better-off-from-a-legal-standpoint-to-kill-the-person-rather-than-wound-them/914018): > > I was reading the comments section of a Reddit thread and came across [this string of responses](https://old.reddit.com/r/news/comments/himakq/woman_shot_multiple_times_while_trying_to_steal/fwh1e6y/) where a very large number of people responded that if you shoot someone in self-defense you are far, far better off from legal liability or criminal punishment if the person is killed rather than wounded. It was claimed that police will tell you this. Gun instructors will tell you this. Pretty much everyone who owns a gun seems to be in agreement. The reason being a dead person can not tell their si… --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-armed-or-even-learning-self-defense-increases-the-chance-youll-be-harmed/919548)._