California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Garcia, B259708 (Cal. App. 2016):
There is a further, independent reason why the trial court properly declined to instruct on perfect self-defense/defense of others. A defendant's belief is reasonableand perfect self-defense/defense of others is availableonly if "lethal force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury." (People v. Uriarte (1990) 223 Cal.App.3d 192, 197.) A defendant cannot invoke perfect self-defense/defense of others if he is the one who escalates a confrontation from one involving non-lethal force to one involving lethal force. (People v. Clark (1982) 130 Cal.App.3d 371, 380 ["deadly force or force likely to cause great bodily injury may be used only to repel an attack which is in itself deadly or
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