Stand Your Ground law

Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said she got accountability in the case against the 20-year-old involved in the fatal mass shooting. But Johnson vowed to change the law, saying the victim’s family deserved “way more than the law currently allows us to give them.”

An earlier appellate decision said deadly force, like using a firearm or a knife, can be used to protect yourself against death, injury or assault, if the force is reasonable. Prosecutors fear the ruling will affect victims of violent crimes and could make meaningless the state’s Castle Doctrine, a version of “stand your ground” laws.

The shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in Kansas City has put more attention on Missouri’s self-defense laws, known as the "castle doctrine" and "Stand Your Ground." But will they help the shooter escape a conviction in this case? Plus: Lawmakers in some states — including Missouri — are considering legislation to require automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, in schools.

There are no statistics to show how often the accused have invoked Stand Your Ground as a defense. One veteran Kansas City defense attorney says, in the shooting of Ralph Yarl, the facts don’t meet the case.