[Redcloak]

 It’s just so much easier to say it was a warning shot.

Actually, claiming that it was a "warning shot" could get you into a heap o' trouble. In essence, you are telling the nice officers that you discharged your firearm (i.e. used deadly force) before you felt you were in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm. In other words, if you had time to consider and then execute a "warning shot", then you had the time and the opportunity to do something else; like run or call 911. What you want to do is tell investigators that you shot with the intent to kill your attacker because you were in fear for your life and the use of deadly force was your only option.

(YMMV)

[Smokin' Joe]

Maybe, but if someone ran into the line of fire of a warning shot while committing a crime, they were close enough to be an imminent threat.

[americanophile]

Well, it was more of a joke, but a warning shot could be fired when you felt you were in imminent danger, but you attempted to make it non-leathal.

[Lancey Howard]

Actually, claiming that it was a "warning shot" could get you into a heap o' trouble. In essence, you are telling the nice officers that you discharged your firearm (i.e. used deadly force) before you felt you were in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm.

Yep, good point.
The best thing to do when you blow away a scumbag thug is just say you were scared, you thought you saw a gun, and you don't remember much else (it all happened so fast). Then shut up and get a lawyer.