In some situations, the individual who is said to be the “victim” actually assaulted the defendant first, causing the altercation. In Nevada, individuals have the right to fight back if they believe it is necessary to avoid immediate bodily harm or death to either themselves or another person.

However, the defendant has to have used no more physical force than is necessary to protect himself or herself, meaning the defendant cannot use deadly force unless necessary, to protect himself or herself.

One exception to this rule involves the battered person’s syndrome, which is a condition that drives many domestic abuse victims to seriously harm or even kill their abusers. The battered person may strike out even when there is no immediate threat of harm, including when the abuser is asleep.

However, when there has been a strong history of abuse, the evidence can be presented to support a battered person’s syndrome self-defense claim. It should be noted that this defense is a fairly narrow situation.