I can understand the need for business owners to align themselves with right-leaning militias
The evidence suggests they probably asked the group to defend their business but publicly testified to the contrary to avoid potential lawsuits from those shot by Rittenhouse.
Well, there's a huge amount of liability involved in calling upon a right-leaning militia to protect your business.
Wisconsin legislature wrote:939.49 Defense of property and protection against retail theft.
(1) A person is privileged to threaten or intentionally use force against another for the purpose of preventing or terminating what the person reasonably believes to be an unlawful interference with the person's property. Only such degree of force or threat thereof may intentionally be used as the actor reasonably believes is necessary to prevent or terminate the interference. It is not reasonable to intentionally use force intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm for the sole purpose of defense of one's property.
So basically, the only force guns are good for is illegal to use to protect a business.
Militia personnel may wish to carry their guns to protect themselves in the process of threatening or applying non-lethal force, but then, they need to take great personal risk in order to engage in protection, as they can't do much from a distance but yell. One specifically can't use a .223 from a distance to provide protection of property. And any armed encounters will then put the business owner and the militia man at risk for a very big lawsuit, as you explained.
So as a business owner, what's the better play?
a) carry enough property insurance to protect your business during a riot.
b) hire a right-wing militia to protect your business, which may lead to criminal charges, a huge lawsuit, and negative national attention?
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