Can a doorbell ring justify a ‘stand your ground’ shooting?

By DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri law allowing people to defend themselves in their homes could come into play in the shooting of a Black 16-year-old in Kansas City. Ralph Yarl was shot by an 84-year-old white man after he rang the doorbell at the wrong house while attempting to pick up his younger siblings. Andrew Lester has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He told police he was “scared to death” and thought someone was trying to break into his home. Missouri’s “castle doctrine” allows deadly force when someone “attempts to unlawfully enter” a home. But legal experts say that’s a questionable assertion in this case.