You can use self-defense if you injured someone while defending your real or personal property, usually from a trespasser who is threatening to steal or damage your property. As in defending your own self from harm, you must have: a reasonable belief your property was in imminent danger, and you used only reasonable force to defend your property For example, if someone was defacing your vehicle, you can use reasonable force to prevent them from inflicting further harm but not deadly force unless they threatened you with a firearm or other deadly weapon and you believed you were in immediate danger of death or serious bodily injury. Defense of property is separate from the “castle doctrine” where your home is invaded by intruders and you have a reasonable belief that you or a family or household member is in immediate danger or death or serious bodily injury. If someone is trespassing on your property, you must first ask the person to leave. If you reasonably believe the trespasser poses a threat to the property or to anyone occupying it, then you may use as much force as reasonably necessary to remove them.