That is the essence of the Chapter 9 "necessity" defense: "I had to break the law to prevent a greater tragedy that I reasonably believed would have occurred if I had not broken the law."Fangs wrote:However, I think the OP erred on the side of the lesser of two evils.
Common examples include:
--Kicking down someone's door and entering their house is illegal, but if you're rescuing them because their house is on fire, you're justified.
--Violating traffic laws in a medical emergency.
--Trespassing against legally posted warnings in order to stop a crime in progress (whether stopping the criminal act, or seeking refuge from it).
Remember, even if the OP hadn't shown the shady duo that he had a gun, even if he had quietly drawn from concealment, or bladed away and lifted his shirt to take a firm drawing grip, he would have broken the law by "intentionally fail(ing) to conceal". Even if no one knew it except him and/or his companion, it would be illegal. Justified? Absolutely.