Section 22-5-9 - Resistance to public offenses permitted.
22-5-9. Resistance to public offenses permitted. Any person may lawfully resist, by force or violence, the commission of any public offense as follows:
(1) Any person, upon reasonable apprehension of threat of bodily injury, may make sufficient resistance to prevent an offense against his or her person or the person of any family or household member, or to prevent an illegal attempt by force to take or injure property in his or her lawful possession; and
(2) Any person may make sufficient resistance in aid or defense of any other person, threatened with bodily injury, to prevent such offense.
Source: SDC 1939 & Supp 1960, § 34.0101; SDCL, § 23-13-3; SL 1978, ch 185, § 4; SL 2005, ch 120, § 382; SL 2006, ch 116, § 1.