Not necessrily. It just has to be s reasonable fear. <>
Well, it's more than that. And it's not what a Trumpist defending a Trumpist who killed some protesters calls "reasonable" on the internet for partisan reasons.
The exact language will vary by jurisdiction, but just for example in MA, standard superior court instructions say among other things:
The Commonwealth satisfies its burden of proving that the defendant did not act in proper self-defense if it proves any one of the following four [or five] propositions beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. The defendant did not actually believe that he/she was in immediate danger of death or serious bodily harm from which he/she could save him/herself only by using deadly force. Deadly force is force that is intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily harm.
2. A reasonable person in the same circumstances as the defendant would not reasonably have believed that he or she was in immediate danger of death or seriosu bodily harm from which he or she could save himself or herself only by using deadly force.
3. The defendant did not use or attempt to use all proper and reasonable means under the circumstances to avoid physical combat before resorting to the use of deadly force.
4. The defendant used more force than was reasonably necessary under all the circumstances.
5. [
Where there is evidence the defendant was the initial aggressor. The defendant was the first to use or threaten deadly force, and did not withdraw in good faith from the conflict and announce to the person (or persons) whom he/she provoked his/her intention to withdraw and end the confrontation without any use of or additional use of force.
Those are the shorthand versions. Judges will typically recite them, then read out longer paragraphs explaining each in more detail. I'm too lazy to type all that up. But what I did type comes straight from the Superior Court Model Instructions for courts here. I'd imagine things are largely similar over there, as they are in most places.
Note: mere words can qualifies as provocation. Screaming about how you'll cut somebody's heart out can defeat your later claim of self-defense if you provoke them into combat, for example.
