Self Defense with Dagger Could Land Mugging Victim in Prison

Acting on the right to defend yourself can be tough, especially when you fight back and hurt someone who never hurt you! One man found out that self defense can be dangerous and can ruin your own life if you don’t do it properly. If he doesn’t end up spending his life in prison, he may change the way he defends himself.

Maurice Parks was on his way home from his subway operator job and was almost there. His life changed 80 feet from his front door when four muggers attacked him by punching him and stabbing him.

Parks pulled out a knife that he carried for defense and stabbed one of the attackers. They started to flee as Parks got on his cell phone and called 911. Shortly after the call began, another man that Parks thought to be one of his muggers came up to him. The man was Flonarza Byas, a tax preparer and not one of the attackers.

Mr. Parks was so scared for his own life that he used his dagger to stab Mr. Byas, under the impression that he was about to attack him. Maurice Parks stabbed Byas repeatedly and he ended up dying from the wounds. Now, the mugging victim is on trial for murder of an innocent man because he was confused, and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars because of it.

If Maurice Parks had had pepper spray with him instead, Mr. Byas wouldn’t be dead now and Maurice still would have felt safe. Using weapons like knives or guns for self defense only ends in more trouble and death, which is exactly what the world doesn’t need more of.