This past year has been turbulent, to say the least. With an international pandemic, racial turmoil and protests, and the 2020 presidential election all occurring in the last 12 months, many are looking forward to the start of the new year. This includes legislators who have been filing 2021 bills over the past few months. The subjects that these bills cover include a wide range, but many are in response to this past year’s events. 2020’s record of looting and destroyed property in cities across the country has one Tennessee lawmaker looking for loosened restrictions when it comes to self-defense and citizens’ responses to property crimes.

House Bill 11

The current Tennessee law regarding self-defense is clear: Deadly force for the purpose of self-defense is only legal if you fear for your life or someone else’s. For those who are victims of property crimes, in other words, someone is stealing or damaging their belongings, using deadly force against the perpetrator is considered a felony. While widening these restrictions may not have been on legislators’ minds in the previous sessions, the infamous looting and significant property damage that occurred throughout 2020 has one lawmaker looking for a change.