AVON, Ohio -- Alumni of the Avon Citizen Police Academy attended a lecture on March 27 in which retired Berea attorney Richard H. French Jr. instructed the class on what to do if you have shot an intruder in self-defense.

French had a lot of stories to tell, winding his way through a myriad of topics related to defending oneself at home.

Throughout the lecture, he provided a substantial and detailed description of various scenarios, advice for a defender and suggestions in advance of having to be a defender.

An act of self-defense looks just like a murder, he said. The difference is in the intention of the shooter. A person draws a gun, pulls the trigger and shoots. If you take a life, you are a murderer, but if you are trying to save a life, you are a defender. A shooter has to prove they are a defender.

French said the standard is the defender must be “in reasonable fear of imminent death or serious bodily injury.” What is defined as “reasonable” fear will be decided by a judge or a jury as part of a court case.

To exercise your right of self-defense, you cannot be complicit in the starting of an altercation. We used to have a “duty to retreat,” he said, when an altercation begins. But that has changed and there is no duty to retreat now.

It was changed, French said, because, if you are under attack or involved in an attempted rape, for example, or there is a person with a gun or knife threatening you, there is no time for you to take your focus off the threat in order to try to run or retreat. French said the new law has lifted a huge burden off a defender.

A classic scenario that is widely discussed for self-defense in the home is the question of a defender shooting someone outside the home, then dragging the attacker back into the house and placing the gun in the attacker’s hand.

“That is wrong in so many ways,” said French. The investigators, he said, will clearly see the clues left showing the person was dragged into the house -- and now the defender is obstructing justice and tampering with evidence, at the least.

His advice also included the following:

• The “Castle Doctrine” allows defense of not only a permanent residence, but also of a temporary residence such as a hotel, and also of a vehicular conveyance you own, such as a motorcycle, trailer, etc. A defender can shoot upon the attempt of someone to enter any of them.

• A defender may not shoot after the threat is over. Once the attacker is down, the defender can’t go and shoot the attacker more.

• A defender can use a gun to equal out the “disparity of force” when the amount of force available to the attacker is greater than the force available to the defender. A common example is a man who is stronger than a woman.

• A defender shoots to stop the threat and that’s all a defender is allowed to do.

• A defender shouldn’t shoot to just wound. The attacker may still be able to hurt the defender and, he noted, a handgun rarely produces a fatality with only one shot.

• If a defender pauses to assess the decision even for a few seconds, then the standard of “reasonable fear of imminent death or serious bodily injury” begins all over again. Don’t pause to assess the situation.

• Do not brandish your gun at an attacker. It is a crime. And do not ever fire a warning shot, as it then gives the other person the legal right to shoot you in self-defense.

• You must be the first one to call 911 after you are safe.

• Tell police the who, what, where, why and when. Identify yourself and give a description of yourself for when they arrive. Tell what happened in only a few words -- 10 to 20. Always make sure you ask for an ambulance.

• Drop the gun. Do not be holding the gun when the police arrive.

• When police arrive, tell them in a simple fashion why you shot your gun. An example might be, someone was trying to rape my wife, so I shot him with my gun.

• As the police ask questions, keep answers very simple and say that you will make a complete statement after you have consulted with an attorney.

• Point out to the police any evidence at the scene, such as gun cartridges or witnesses. Let them know if you know where there is any video surveillance in the area.

• Don’t go home unarmed. When a police officer is involved in a shooting, French said, the gun he shot in an altercation is taken away, but they give the officer another one. They don’t expect him to leave the scene with no defense. The advice may be a reason to have a second gun in the home.

• The defender’s life will change after a shooting. Friends, family and acquaintances may see the defender differently. French said: “You are not a bad person if you shoot to save your life. Talk to a (mental health) professional, as well as your lawyer.”

• If you own a gun, you may want to consider purchasing insurance for your defense for legitimate self-defense should it ever happen.

• Find a lawyer now so you know whom to call should one ever be needed in a self-defense case. French recommends Martindale.com as the most expansive referral service in the U.S. Searches can be done by geographic area and area of attorney practices. The best part, he said, is that attorneys are anonymously rated by other attorneys.