{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-503.060","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 503.060","heading":"Improper use of physical force in self-protection.","body":"Notwithstanding the provisions of KRS 503.050, the use of physical force by a defendant\nupon another person is not justifiable when:\n(1) The defendant is resisting an arrest by a peace officer, recognized to be acting under\ncolor of official authority and using no more force than reasonably necessary to\neffect the arrest, although the arrest is unlawful; or\n(2) The defendant, with the intention of causing death or serious physical injury to the\nother person, provokes the use of physical force by such other person; or\n(3) The defendant was the initial aggressor, except that his use of physical force upon\nthe other person under this circumstance is justifiable when:\n(a) His initial physical force was nondeadly and the force returned by the other is\nsuch that h e believes himself to be in imminent danger of death or serious\nphysical injury; or\n(b) He withdraws from the encounter and effectively communicates to the other\nperson his intent to do so and the latter nevertheless continues or threatens the\nuse of unlawful physical force.","path":["KRS Chapter 503"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=19671","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:00Z","sha256":"fcc8c13377e9c9d94eabfc44b5508647e51052ce31095647b48d972742ae09d9","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-503.055","next":"us-ky/krs-503.070"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}