CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Kansas City man charged with shooting 16-year-old Ralph Yarl twice when the teen went to the wrong house to pick up his siblings pleaded not guilty.
Missouri is among at least 28 states with "stand your ground" self-defense laws in place. Police charged Andrew Lester with two felonies after he reportedly shot 16-year-old Ralph Yarl twice after Yarl went to the wrong house to pick up his siblings.
North Carolina also has one of these laws, but what do they mean? In the aftermath of three high-profile shootings across the country, many people are wondering how these "stand your ground" laws work.
THE SOURCES
- Attorney Gary Mauney, partner at Mauney PLLC
- The law
WHAT WE FOUND
You are allowed to use deadly force if there is a reasonable fear of imminent death or bodily harm.
Under North Carolina's "stand your ground" law, there are three places where deadly force can be used if you are scared for your life: your home, your workplace and your car.
If someone comes into your home, it is presumed under the law of North Carolina that the person coming into your home without permission is there to do you harm and so you are allowed to use deadly force.
But before you shoot, Mauney says you need to have a reasonable fear of death.
"It has to appear that someone is coming to your home unlawfully, breaking and entering, breaking your door down trying to get into your car door without your permission," Mauney said.
He explained that you can't just shoot anyone, either. There must be a reasonable fear of death.
"You can't shoot the Amazon driver because he knocks on your door," he said. "You don't have a reasonable belief that person is there to do you harm. If what happened in Missouri happened here, you would also face charges, the same way the suspect there is currently. It would not cover you if it's just an actual knock at the door from a salesperson or someone that is lost or accidentally happens to be there."
Mauney says if someone is walking away from your home, workplace or car, you must stop trying to use deadly force once they are off your property.
"If they retreat they leave your home then you have to stop you can't chase them off your property," Mauney said. "You can't follow them in your car and shoot them. That's not permitted."
The law also states you can't open fire on a law enforcement officer or bail bondsman who is doing their job at the time.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
VERIFY is dedicated to helping the public distinguish between true and false information. The VERIFY team, with help from questions submitted by the audience, tracks the spread of stories or claims that need clarification or correction. Have something you want VERIFIED? Text us at 704-329-3600 or visit VERIFY.