Ark: Self-defense Found in Son's Killing of Father: "A prosecutor has concluded that a 16-year-old boy was acting in self-defense when fatally shot his father. Officials say Roy Minniefield Jr. of Eudora shot 50-year-old Roy Minniefield Sr. after the father threatened his son's life and that of his son's friend. The January incident occurred when the father questioned his son and the son's friend, Quentarious Green, about a missing firearm. Prosecutors say the father menaced his son and the friend with a firearm and that the son fired his own gun, striking his father with four bullets. Prosecutor Thomas Deen says the killing was unfortunate but that there was "abundant" cause for Minniefield Jr. to have feared for his life."


AZ: Man with ax shot to death: "At about 1108 AM Officers of the Cottonwood Police Department responded to the parking lot of the Safeway Store, 1635 E Cottonwood Street, on the report of shots fired. They found one subject down with apparent gunshot wounds and a second subject nearby. The gunshot victim was deceased at the scene. At the time of this report he has not been positively identified. The other party involved is identified as James Sherman King, 59 years old, of Cottonwood. Preliminary investigation revealed that the incident started on the roadway and both subjects pulled into the store parking lot. Witnesses state that the deceased subject approached Mr. King with a raised axe. They heard two shots and the man with the axe fell to the ground.. Update: The deceased person is identified as James Keith Orsini, 47, of Cottonwood. Mr. Orsini died at the scene."


WY Governor signs "castle doctrine" bill : "Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Thursday signed into law the contentious "castle doctrine" bill, although he expressed concern that it could limit the legal defenses for Wyoming residents who kill others in self defense. The new law specifies that citizens have a right to assume that anyone who enters their homes illegally is there to do them harm. It also says that homeowners who kill intruders justifiably can't be sued for it. "We've sort of done away with all of the common law, and I don't know whether all of the common law defenses are actually codified here," Freudenthal said. Supporters of the bill said they wanted to spell out exactly what citizens' self-defense rights are".


MN: Pols reject self-defense bill: "A bill that supporters say would have broadened citizens' rights to defend themselves -- and opponents say would have encouraged a Wild West mentality -- failed in its first test in the Legislature on Thursday. ... Although state law already allows people to kill an intruder in their home, Cornish's self-defense bill would have authorized deadly force against an intruder entering a porch, garage or occupied car. On a street or in a bar, there would be no duty to retreat before using deadly force against someone believed to be threatening 'substantial' harm, lessening the standard of 'great' bodily harm in current law. ... Supporters, many wearing badges saying 'Self Defense is a Human Right,' packed the room, but groups that included the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association and the Minnesota County Attorneys Association testified against it."