Self-Defense Is Legal in Pennsylvania

DAs HATE that. Jury acquits man in Banksville Road killing | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A jury on Friday acquitted a Beechview man in the death of another man, finding that Connor Makstutis acted in self-defense when he shot Richard Derkach on Banksville Road in 2023.

A years-long campaign of harassment, that included shots fired at the defendant's home. It ended in traffic.

Mr. Makstutis testified that by the time he ended up trapped in rush hour traffic with Mr. Derkach at his car window, he felt like “it was him or me.”

Banksville is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

The DA wanted to win, and didn't care about all of that, but it didn't turn out the way the DA wanted.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Newman had told the jury that Mr. Derkach was unarmed and that Mr. Makstutis had no reason to open fire.

Did he know that? Is the DA saying you can't beat someone to death? Are you supposed to submit to beatings if the other guy is "isn't armed?" How do you know if he is armed or not?

Closing arguments were in the morning. The jury was done by 2PM the same day. I would say they didn't buy what the DA was trying to sell.