New York Court of Appeals, 1986

The Court reversed the denial of summary judgment and granted Dr. Stark’s motion because his factual submissions established that he timely and properly interpreted the radiological studies, while the plaintiff offered no competent evidence rebutting that showing.

The court held that New York's justification statute requires both an honest belief that deadly force was necessary and an objectively reasonable basis for that belief, evaluated in light of the defendant's circumstances, including relevant knowledge and prior experiences.