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Self-defense.

That is the word that the case of Renisha McBride’s death lies on.

The facts are the homeowner in suburban Detroit fatally shot the 19-year-old in the face as she stood on his porch.

But things are not that simple…

The 54-year-old airport maintenance employee, who faces murder and manslaughter charges, is currently free on bail awaiting a Dec. 18 hearing that will determine if the case should go to trial.

Ron Bretz, a Cooley Law School professor and former criminal defense attorney, says the case all comes down to a single word. He says:

“It’s got to be reasonable. The question is: What would a reasonable person do in these circumstances?”

Huffington Post reports:

Under a 2006 Michigan self-defense law, a homeowner has the right to use force during a break-in. Otherwise, a person must show that his or her life was in danger.

Defense lawyers are expected to argue that Wafer feared for his life when a drunken McBride — toxicology reports put her blood-alcohol content at well above the legal limit for driving — came to his door in the middle of the night hours after crashing her car blocks away in Detroit. Those factors contribute to Wafer’s “very strong defense,” said his lawyer, Mack Carpenter.

Meanwhile the prosecutor and the McBride family believe there is no justification for why Renisha was fatally shot and killed.

Other concerns in the case include race as Renisha is black and Wafer is white. Eyebrows are also raising over the timing between the time of Renisha’s accident and the shooting.

Huffington Post reports:

What isn’t known is how McBride spent the time between the crash and the shooting. Wafer called 911 at 4:42 a.m., but it’s not clear when he fired the fatal shot.

Stay tuned for more updates on this case.

SOURCE: Huff Post | PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook