In some states, you don’t have to flee in terror before an attacker. In some, you are allowed to stand your ground and let the attacker take the consequences of being an attacker.
There was a case years ago where a woman fled. Up the stairs, into her bedroom, shut the door. The guy with a knife broke thru the door and she shot & killed him. She was prosecuted because she didn’t jump out the second story window in an attempt to escape. The jury didn’t see things the way the prosecutor did, tho...
Here’s her story:
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_d0de63b4-0f4a-11e2-98fb-001a4bcf887a.html