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Bloomberg scrutinizes 'stand your ground' laws after Trayvon Martin
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Mayor Michael Bloomberg took a stand Thursday against so-called "stand your ground" legislation, which allows people who feel threatened to use deadly force in self-defense.
Such laws have come under scrutiny nationwide after the killing of Florida teen Trayvon Martin by neighbor George Zimmerman, who admitted to fatally shooting Martin after mistaking him for a burglar.
Bloomberg said on "CBS this Morning" that the law encourages people to act like "vigilantes."
"There is no oversight. That is the police department's job," he added.
Zimmerman's father told a FOX TV affiliate in Florida that Martin first punched his son and broke his nose before he shot him Feb. 26. A grainy video of Zimmerman when he was initially arrested, however, shows no blatant injuries.
Bloomberg regularly advocates for stiffer gun laws and has blamed gun lobbyists for controlling Washington, D.C.
New York State law allows people to use deadly force if they believe their life is in danger. However, if they're outside their home, they must attempt to flee the situation first.
A bill in Albany would end that requirement and permit the use of deadly force immediately, although several Democratic senators are opposing it.
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