Who gets to claim self-defense in shootings? Airman’s death sparks debate over race and gun rights

By AARON MORRISON
Associated Press

The death of Senior Airman Roger Fortson in Florida this month reignited a complicated debate about race, gun laws and self-defense – namely, who is typically afforded deference when it comes to using guns in self-defense and who is not. “Stand Your Ground” laws have been invoked time and again over the past decade by gun owners to justify shooting at home intruders. Critics denounce them as “shoot first” laws. But what happens when the victim is a young Black man responding to banging noises on his front door and the perceived intruder is a sheriff’s deputy? The shooting remains under investigation.