re: Asian store owner fights back. Thwarts robbery and stabs thug multiple times

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The owner will have to justify himself by saying he thought he needed to preemptively attack because he was somehow threatened. The video doesn’t appear to show a threat, implied or otherwise, just an attempt to steal. Was the act of jumping over the counter enough to present a reasonable threat?

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In civil society, particularly in businesses vulnerable to robbery, there is a clear barrier in place to protect the employees. It’s not like an Apple Genius Bar or a Verizon Store where everyone is free to walk anywhere.

When you violate the norms to the extent of hopping over a barrier in a way that prevents a store owner from safe retreat, a reasonable person should absolutely believe there is an imminent threat of at least serious bodily injury (which is an acceptable threshold for lethal force).

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What if he had calmly just walked around the counter to take something, justifiable to kill for that?

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But that didn’t happen, did it. Why did the criminal not make that choice? One is clearly more aggressive and threatening than the other, particularly when the store owner is cornered. His choice instead was to advance by hopping a counter right where the law abiding store owner was just standing and enter personal protected space while having his identity concealed.

If you’re the type of guy that does not recognize the difference between calmly walking around a counter wearing clothes that signal “I’m no threat” with identity in full view, and hopping a counter dressed to conceal identity and any possible weaponry, you won’t live long in a dog eat dog environment such as this vulnerable store owner.

Stay out of the legal practice, and please stay off of juries.