Whether you’re talking about the 1994-2004 federal version, the 2013 New York and Connecticut models, or any of a handful of other state designs, Assault Weapons Bans (“AWBs”) have been a hot topic for decades. Supporters say they decrease crime. Detractors point to the fact that all types of rifles combined, represent 364 out of 13,927 in 2019 (just 2.6%)—a tiny proportion—of firearms used in homicides, and that assault weapons don’t even get their own category in these statistics.

Whether it’s a private citizen defending their life from an attack or law enforcement apprehending a criminal, in today’s world there are many questions surrounding use of force. Although the term means different things when used with a civilian versus a government agent, everyone has questions about what level of force is warranted for a given situation. Police officers need to be aware of “excessive force” and civilians need to be wary of escalating a situation by using “disproportional force” in a self-defense incident. We all struggle to balance the value of human life against the need to respond, sometimes with deadly force, to an imminent threat.