On 14 Jan 2007 09:37:20 -0800, Jonathan Morris wrote:

The adreneline is pumping and you don't have time
to think - you can only react.

Fine. So it's self defence, you're acquitted, and all is fine legally.
It's only if you try and kill him *while he's running away* that
there's a problem.

Did you read what I said? It happens in a matter of seconds. So the guy
turns and runs as you're about to attack. Can you stop? Will you stop?

In the case of Harry Stanley (the man shot dead by police in the back
of the head in 1999 while carrying a table leg in a plastic bag), the
officers were exonerated on just that basis:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6047218.stm