MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Is it a right to protect yourself or a license to kill? New debate regarding the "Stand Your Ground" law comes as emotions are still running high in Florida over last month's shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
"Based on what I have heard, I am very surprised that law enforcement already hasn't arrested this man," said Thomas W. Bolling, a former Shelby County Sheriff's deputy and president of Ambassador Worldwide Protection Agency, a local security firm.
Martin, 17, was unarmed when he was killed on February 26th in an Orlando suburb. He was wearing a hoodie when George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, started following him, telling police Martin looked suspicious.
"If that person is fleeing and is not a threat and does not pose a threat to your life or to the life of a third party, there is no reason for you to stand any ground," Bolling said.
In the Mid-South, only Tennessee has the "Stand Your Ground" law, which allows a person to use deadly force if they fear someone is about to harm them or their property.
Mississippi has the Castle Doctrine, which allows a person to use deadly force in a self-defense situation within the confines of their home.
"The law allows you to protect yourself if you are threatened," Bolling said.
Arkansas has neither law on the books.
