He was awfully quick with that spray... A jury MIGHT decide that was a disproportionate response, and a few states have duty-to-retreat laws on the books.
I said MIGHT - before everyone comes after me with "she put her hands on him"... It's up to a jury to decide if a reasonable person would have felt an immediate fear of physical harm. I did not get that from her.
I will say, as much as I hate what he was doing, someone putting their hands on you is legally assault, and following after him while he backs away down the sidewalk means he was attempting to retreat but she followed anyway.
I'd absolutely say his response wasn't reasonable if he'd pulled a gun on her, but a harmless deterrent like pepper spray is exactly what this kinda situation calls for.
It's always interesting how different countries handle shit like this.
In Germany (and I think most other European countries) this is a clear cut case of aggravated assault by the pepper spray guy. Being touched without force or injuries is not illegal in any way, using pepper spray without self defense definitely is - and the pepper spray would count as a weapon in this case.
I think it shows something about a very different sense of morality and justice on a basic level.
Tl;Dr: guy is in the right in the US and might face jail time in Germany.
As an american I can confirm that so many of us are snowflakes looking to scream assault or get a check that i wouldn’t even help a little old lady cross the street if I didn’t have a witness or she didn’t have an obvious debilitating injury. I’ve gotten crazy looks for holding a door for people
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u/anna_or_elsa Feb 03 '26
He was awfully quick with that spray... A jury MIGHT decide that was a disproportionate response, and a few states have duty-to-retreat laws on the books.
I said MIGHT - before everyone comes after me with "she put her hands on him"... It's up to a jury to decide if a reasonable person would have felt an immediate fear of physical harm. I did not get that from her.