Commonwealth v. Brown

OPINION

NIX, Justice.

The question raised in this appeal is the interrelationship that can arise, under a given factual situation, between the defense of others and self-defense. The trial court did instruct the jury of appellant’s right to use deadly force in defense of another, but refused, although requested, to *510charge the jury as to appellant’s right to act in self-defense.1 Under the facts of this case we are constrained to conclude that it was error to refuse this instruction and *511consequently the judgments of sentence must be reversed and a new trial must be awarded.

On December 24, 1975,…