SB 1231 Summary

• Amends Arizona Revised Statutes Section 13-405 regarding justification for use of deadly physical force against another person.

• Adds two new circumstances where a person is NOT justified in using deadly physical force: (1) leaving a place of safety to actively pursue another person engaged in lawful activity, or (2) pursuing another person after a law enforcement officer requests retreat to a place of safety.

• Establishes that a person has no duty to retreat before using deadly physical force if they are in a place where they may legally be and are not engaged in an unlawful act.

• Maintains existing requirements that deadly physical force is only justified when a reasonable person would believe it is immediately necessary to protect against another's use or attempted use of unlawful deadly physical force.