Under NY law, which statement about retreat is true when the defendant is inside his dwelling and intends to use deadly force?

• A. There is no duty to retreat.
• B. There is a duty to retreat if possible.
• C. There is a duty to retreat if there is a safe exit.
• D. There is a duty to retreat for police.

Answer: (A)

In New York, when a person is inside their dwelling and faces an imminent deadly threat, there is no duty to retreat. The rule lets the occupant stand their ground and defend themselves with deadly force if necessary and reasonably believed to be necessary to prevent death or serious bodily harm. The key is the home context—inside the dwelling, retreat is not required even if a safe exit is available. This aligns with the idea that a person's home is a place where they may defend themselves without first fleeing. The other statements imply a retreat duty that doesn’t apply in this home setting, and the option about police isn’t relevant to the private self-defense scenario.