Man, that is silly.
If you chase me, and then point a gun at me, YOU can claim self-defense if I try to defend myself by getting your gun away from you?
The murdered was an idiot for trying to get a shotgun away from someone, but to be honest if I thought you were going to kill me anyway - which would be a very logical conclusion after being chased by armed people - then I like to think I at least try to take you with me. What do I have to lose? Better to go out with a boom and a non zero chance of getting the gun away and using it on you than to be tied up and tortured to death, dragged behind a truck or something like that, which is what *I* would expect from anyone chasing me.
At least two of these guys should never see the light of day again, the third one just seems to be an idiot. But as others here have said, you would *NEVER* want me on your jury, for anything.
A lot of you articulate the idea that Arbery was frightened and did what he did out of desperation. It is clear the idea never occurred to you that Arbery saw himself as a baller and wasn't frightened, but instead was angry and tried to put a baller move on the guy holding the shotgun.
I think it is the unfamiliarity many people on Free Republic have with the black "gangsta" underclass that motivates them to believe Arbery acted out of fear, because that makes sense to them.
I have spent a lot of time with people in this group, and they are often not afraid when they very well should be. I had several "gangsta" friends and I used to party with them just a mere decade ago. They would never let someone see them as cowering in fear. They would act aggressively and violently when provoked.
Have you listened to "gangsta rap" music? I've listened to it more than I liked, but that is what my friends wanted to hear, so that's what we listened to. I even came to like a few of the songs. This one for example.
"Never Scared" by "Bonecrusher."
Listen to the words. It conveys the mindset quite well.
You don't let people treat you like a "punk." You fight back violently. This is Arbery's lifestyle and this is what he believed, and you and others like you think he was frightened because you don't have any familiarity with his peer group.
I hope i've given you some insight.