[bruoz]

"If you shoot, you shoot to kill and it's only because you're believing your life is in danger."

My LEO training is that you only shoot to stop the threat. The word "kill" should never be uttered even in self defense.

[offduty]

Never “shoot to kill” always “center of mass”.

[Mr Rogers]

“My LEO training is that you only shoot to stop the threat. The word “kill” should never be uttered even in self defense.”

There is no way to defend yourself without a chance of killing. And killing is the most certain defense. That is why, if given a choice between grabbing a 12 gauge and a 380, folks would choose the 12 gauge.

Yes, once the threat is gone, you have no right to go on shooting. But neither should you shoot to wound. You only shoot if you are in danger of dying, and shooting to kill - ie, big weapon if available and shooting where serious damage will be done - is nothing more than a good defense.

[alancarp]

"My LEO training is that you only shoot to stop the threat. The word "kill" should never be uttered even in self defense."

A good point for the investigation that follows... I expect you and I would agree that it's a semantic difference in practical terms, but an important one in legal terms.