Pennsylvania § 506 Use of force for the protection of other persons

Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 506 — Use of force for the protection of other persons

Pennsylvania § 506

Title 18CRIMES AND OFFENSES

PartPART I

Ch. 5GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF JUSTIFICATION

This text of Pennsylvania § 506 (Use of force for the protection of other persons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 506 (2026).

Text

(a)General rule.--The use of force upon or toward the person of another is justifiable to protect a third person when:

(1)the actor would be justified under section 505 (relating to use of force in self-protection) in using such force to protect himself against the injury he believes to be threatened to the person whom he seeks to protect;

(2)under the circumstances as the actor believes them to be, the person whom he seeks to protect would be justified in using such protective force; and

(3)the actor believes that his intervention is necessary for the protection of such other person.

(b)Exception.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), the actor is not obliged to retreat to any greater extent than the person whom he seeks to protect.

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(a) General rule.--The use of force upon or toward the person of another is justifiable to protect a third person when:

(1) the actor would be justified under section 505 (relating to use of force in self-protection) in using such force to protect himself against the injury he believes to be threatened to the person whom he seeks to protect;

(2) under the circumstances as the actor believes them to be, the person whom he seeks to protect would be justified in using such protective force; and

(3) the actor believes that his intervention is necessary for the protection of such other person.

(b) Exception.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), the actor is not obliged to retreat to any greater extent than the person whom he seeks to protect.

Legislative History

(June 28, 2011, P.L.48, No.10, eff. 60 days) 2011 Amendment.See the preamble to Act 10 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to legislative findings. CrossReferences.Section 506 is referred to in section 6304 of Title 23 (Domestic Relations); section 8340.2 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure).