Kind of a legal question here. I am not sure how this works in other castle doctrine states, but in Wisconsin it appears you can threaten the use of force when protecting property…
“A person is privileged to threaten or intentionally use force against another for the purpose of preventing or terminating what the person reasonably believes to be an unlawful interference with the person’s property. Only such degree of force or threat thereof may intentionally be used as the actor reasonably believes is necessary to prevent or terminate the interference. It is not reasonable to intentionally use force intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm for the sole purpose of defense of one’s property.”
So that last sentence in the paragraph above is the key point. Apparently I can threaten while being robbed, but cannot actually pull the trigger and cause injury unless I am in fear of death or injury myself.
I know the following scenario is a bit of a stretch but bear with me. So hypothetically, let’s say someone wants to rob my house. The dude knocks on my door. I don’t know the man but he seems normal enough and I open the door. Only an easily torn screen door is now between him and me. He then kicks through the screen door and enters. He then surprisingly announces his intent to rob the place and that IF I don’t interfere nobody will get hurt.
So at that point I can stand out of the way and let him have at my belongings (while I call 911), I can go hand to hand, or I can threaten to shoot. Per Wisconsin castle doctrine (above), I make the threat of defense with my hand gun, which was hidden from view but instantly accessible. The dude now comes at me. Am I justified in shooting? Here I assume he does intend bodily harm to me. How bad such injury would have been (or even death) I would not know until after the fact. And I will not allow that option to play out.
Now I could have just walked away (even have gone outside), and called 911. But Wisconsin castle doctrine does allow one to make the threat. If your bluff is called and you therefore fear injury or death, and you shoot, how bad are the impending legal gymnastics?