If there is one rule in self defense that everyone must accept it’s simply this: you cannot re-engage. And that is why Keshia Golden accepted a plea deal for involuntary manslaughter as opposed to risking a trial on first-degree murder.
Let’s rewind to October 2022.
Keshia Golden has been an off-and-on victim of domestic violence at the hands of her now-deceased boyfriend, Calvin Sidney. Golden claimed self-defense in the incident that led to Sidney’s death. While there were initially conflicting statements, conflicting descriptions of what happened, the final statements of fact accepted by both sides paint a pretty clear picture that Golden is not innocent.
And the reason is simple: she re-engaged. Quoting Fox 32 Chicago:
According to court documents, family members separated the two before Sidney went into a bedroom to lie down. Prosecutors said Golden followed him with a knife and stabbed him in the leg, striking his femoral artery.
Once they were separated and the altercation died off, Golden and the baby she was carrying were no longer in imminent threat of bodily harm or death. So in grabbing the knife and following him to the bedroom to stab him, Keshia Golden made the decision to re-engage.
And lost the claim to self defense when she did re-engage.
Way, way too often we see situations where a confrontation ends, but the victim from that confrontation expects to be able to walk away, find a weapon, and re-engage as if the original confrontation never ended and still claim self defense. And that isn’t how things work. It’s never worked that way. And it’s a mentality that’s sent plenty of people to jail.
You cannot re-engage. Once you do, you lose the claim to self defense. The law makes that clear.
I’ve seen plenty of comments, including from Golden herself, that says along the lines of… “A man forfeits his right to live if he abuses a woman.” And, no… no he doesn’t. Just as a woman doesn’t forfeit her right to live if she abuses a man or a child.
