This will not be a factor in most self-defense shootings involving a trained CHL who will use their gun to maximum effectiveness, but all this raises an interesting question: what happens when the BG is still alive, or even conscious, but through your actions or other circumstances cannot leave? Everyone's interested in what they as the shooter would say and generally assume a dead or mortally-wounded BG, but what about what a BG would say if given the chance? If the BG's got any brains he'll work to confuse the police as much as possible on their arrival about your identities (he'll do his damndest to remember the information you give 911 and parrot it to the cops) and raise the tension level. If the BG is still conscious, you'd be pretty dumb not to be covering him, which when the police get there is automatically going to be high tension. If he starts saying "I'm the homeowner" or any of the stuff we're advising the shooter to say, or gets his own version of the story in first, and you, pumped full of adrenaline, start arguing with the BG, the police are going to be VERY nervous.
The BG's later statement is likely to make many references to "that maniac with the gun" and "he provoked me". That latter phrase is especially damaging if you use Castle Doctrine as an affirmative defense. You shot the BG in your home, because he forcibly entered and had no right to be there. All the BG has to say is "he provoked me" or words to that effect and, in the absence of witnesses to the contrary, you can no longer claim Castle Doctrine as it does not apply to a situation of "mutual combat" where the shooter retreated into their home. That means you may be going to jail for a long time if the BG can sing a good song. You may be going to jail even longer if someone working with a now-dead BG (i.e. getaway driver), or even a disgruntled anti-gun or anti-you neighbor, can give a good eulogy for the dead man. Sure it's perjury; you however have no proof they're lying if the evidence or witnesses for your side don't say so.
The BG's later statement is likely to make many references to "that maniac with the gun" and "he provoked me". That latter phrase is especially damaging if you use Castle Doctrine as an affirmative defense. You shot the BG in your home, because he forcibly entered and had no right to be there. All the BG has to say is "he provoked me" or words to that effect and, in the absence of witnesses to the contrary, you can no longer claim Castle Doctrine as it does not apply to a situation of "mutual combat" where the shooter retreated into their home. That means you may be going to jail for a long time if the BG can sing a good song. You may be going to jail even longer if someone working with a now-dead BG (i.e. getaway driver), or even a disgruntled anti-gun or anti-you neighbor, can give a good eulogy for the dead man. Sure it's perjury; you however have no proof they're lying if the evidence or witnesses for your side don't say so.
