I see it in simpler terms.
If the thug hadn’t gone into a business, waving a weapon (regardless of what it turned out to be) and forcibly stealing people’s private property, there wouldn’t be any issue.
Agreed, but this piece doesn’t address the moral or societal issues, but is directed at the purely pragmatic issues, which the defender is currently dealing with.
Branca does a great job just breaking down the legal issues from a criminal perspective, and it’s relevant for anyone who might find him or herself in that situation. It might be a matter of greater urgency for those of us in a jurisdiction with a Soros DA, as we have in Harris county, but it’s a valuable perspective for anyone.
No one wants to win the gunfight, and then spend years in a cage because, as you note, some knucklehead decided that it was a good day to wave a gun in one’s face and demand your wallet.