A Memphis man is charged with voluntary manslaughter after admitting he shot a burglary suspect who was running away from his apartment. The case raises serious questions about how Tennessee self defense laws apply once an intruder is no longer an immediate threat.
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MEMPHIS, TN (4 minute read) — In Memphis, 30 year old Marques Griffin is facing a voluntary manslaughter charge after police say he admitted firing his firearm at a man who had just broken into his apartment and then ran away.
Investigators say Griffin told officers he heard a noise, went to his living room, and found a stranger inside his apartment on Robin Hood Lane. According to Memphis Police, the man ran out of the residence, and Griffin followed him outside and fired three rounds as the suspected burglar fled. The wounded man was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
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Griffin is currently in jail on a bond set at fifty thousand dollars and is scheduled to return to court on Monday. For anyone who carries a firearm for home defense or concealed carry, this case is a sobering example of why training must cover not only shooting skills but also when to stop using force and call 911.
Self defense law and a fleeing suspect#
Choosing not to shoot at a fleeing suspect is one of the most important judgment calls an armed citizen can make. In virtually every state, deadly force is only justified when you reasonably believe you are in immediate danger of death or serious bodily injury. Once someone is running away, that sense of immediate threat usually disappears. At that point, if you pull the trigger, you are no longer defending yourself from an active attack. You are using deadly force to punish or stop someone from escaping, and that is where people end up facing serious criminal charges, even if the incident started as a legitimate self defense situation.
There is also a huge safety concern. Bullets do not magically stop when they miss their target. When someone is fleeing, they are often moving fast, maybe in the dark, maybe through a neighborhood, parking lot or apartment complex. The odds of missing go up, and every missed round has to land somewhere. That “somewhere” might be an innocent neighbor, a child in a nearby home or someone driving by. Ethically and practically, the risk you create for innocent people almost never lines up with the level of danger a fleeing suspect actually poses in that moment.
From a tactical standpoint, chasing and shooting at someone who is running away can also put you in more danger, not less. When you leave a position of cover to pursue, you may lose awareness of your surroundings, step into an ambush or move into an area you cannot see clearly. You may not know if the suspect has accomplices waiting outside or around a corner. Good training teaches that your priority is to break contact with the threat, get to safety, protect those you are responsible for and call law enforcement as soon as it is safe to do so, not to chase down the suspect.
There is also the legal and financial reality. Even if you are not criminally charged, or charges are later reduced, you may still face civil lawsuits from the suspect’s family or from anyone injured by your rounds. Legal defense in a shooting case can easily cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many tragic cases start with a completely justified use of force inside a home or during a robbery, and then everything changes the moment the suspect turns to run and the armed citizen fires “just one more shot.”
For responsible gun owners, the rule of thumb is simple. Your firearm is for stopping an immediate and serious threat, not for protecting property or making sure “the bad guy does not get away.” Once the threat is running off, your job is to stop shooting, get safe, be a good witness and let the justice system handle the rest. That choice may feel frustrating in the moment, but it is the choice that keeps you on the right side of the law, protects bystanders and preserves your own future.
Safety Tip: If you keep a firearm for home or self defense, seek quality legal education and training so you understand when a threat is considered imminent under your state’s law, and remember that once an intruder is fleeing, your safest and most lawful move is usually to stay secure, be a good witness, and contact law enforcement immediately.
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