A.R.S. § 13-411: Force to Prevent Crime
Justification; use of force in crime prevention; applicability
When can you use deadly force to prevent a crime in Arizona?
In Arizona, a person is justified in using or threatening physical or deadly force, with no duty to retreat, when they reasonably believe it is immediately necessary to stop someone from committing certain serious crimes such as murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, armed robbery, burglary, arson of an occupied structure, or aggravated assault; they are presumed to be acting reasonably when preventing one of those crimes, and this protection applies at home, at a business, in a vehicle, on owned or leased land, or anywhere else they have a right to be.
Full statute text
Official text last checked against azleg.gov:
13-411. Justification; use of force in crime prevention; applicability
A. A person is justified in threatening or using both physical force and deadly physical force against another if and to the extent the person reasonably believes that physical force or deadly physical force is immediately necessary to prevent the other's commission of arson of an occupied structure under section 13-1704, burglary in the second or first degree under section 13-1507 or 13-1508, kidnapping under section 13-1304, manslaughter under section 13-1103, second or first degree murder under section 13-1104 or 13-1105, sexual conduct with a minor under section 13-1405, sexual assault under section 13-1406, child molestation under section 13-1410, armed robbery under section 13-1904 or aggravated assault under section 13-1204, subsection A, paragraphs 1 and 2.
B. There is no duty to retreat before threatening or using physical force or deadly physical force justified by subsection A of this section.
C. A person is presumed to be acting reasonably for the purposes of this section if the person is acting to prevent what the person reasonably believes is the imminent or actual commission of any of the offenses listed in subsection A of this section.
D. This section includes the use or threatened use of physical force or deadly physical force in a person's home, residence, place of business, land the person owns or leases, conveyance of any kind, or any other place in this state where a person has a right to be.
AI-drafted summary, not attorney-reviewed. Statute text verified against azleg.gov. Legal information, not legal advice — consult a licensed attorney for your situation.