The Statement (Part Two)
Lawyer Zhou's face showed a perfectly measured hint of helplessness. He leaned forward slightly, as if recalling a troublesome scene:
"Lü Yi... he did have a few words with the leader of the other side." Then, in an almost authentic tone, he recounted Lü Yi's shocking "lines"—from "Which brother's zipper wasn't zipped up properly" to "Ele.me delivery department," without omitting a single word.
The two experienced detectives listened to this absurd conversation, their expressions turning quite strange. They wanted to laugh but felt the occasion was inappropriate, so they forced themselves to suppress it. Officer Wang coughed lightly to steady himself and asked a pointed question:
"Lawyer Zhou, based on your account, do you believe that Lü Yi engaged in any verbal provocation?"
This is a tricky question. If one admits to provocation, it may provide an "excuse" for the other party's subsequent violent behavior, and even affect the determination of legitimate self-defense.
However, to the surprise of the two police officers, Lawyer Zhou nodded and readily admitted:
"I believe that, judging solely from the content of the words themselves, Lü Yi's behavior may indeed contain elements that could be considered verbal provocation."
Upon hearing this, both Officer Wang and Officer Li were taken aback and looked at him with some surprise. The officer taking notes also stopped writing and looked up, waiting for him to continue.
Lawyer Zhou then changed the subject, his tone becoming serious and solemn:
"However, there is one point I must solemnly make clear to you."
Mr. Lü Yi has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder by a professional medical institution and is currently undergoing home treatment.
From a legal perspective, due to the influence of his illness, he may not have full civil capacity, and to a certain extent, the determination of his criminal responsibility also requires professional assessment.
His words and actions often defy conventional logic and social norms, a fact evidenced by his medical records and the testimony of his attending physician.
The police officer taking notes immediately noted this down in detail and marked it "Needs verification".
Lawyer Zhou did not stop there; he continued to advance, like an experienced chess player who never regrets his moves, proceeding cautiously step by step.
"Furthermore, I believe that even if Lü Yi may have made inappropriate verbal remarks, this is by no means the main cause of this case, much less a reasonable excuse for the other party to commit a serious violent crime."
He raised his voice slightly, his gaze sweeping over the two officers:
"If you carefully review and analyze the store's surveillance footage, you will discover two key details:"
First, when the other party approached with weapons and the leader made threats, Lü Yi's first reaction was to retreat, trying to avoid them, showing her unwillingness to have a direct conflict with the other party, and trying to find a way to leave the scene.
Secondly, when the other party clearly indicated their intention to attack and brandished a weapon, Lü Yi's first reaction was also to try to retreat and seek space, rather than actively confronting them and further escalating the conflict.
He paused, giving the police time to process the information, and then presented the legal basis:
According to Article 20 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China regarding legitimate defense, and in accordance with the spirit of relevant judicial interpretations, the premise of legitimate defense is that "an unlawful infringement is in progress."
To determine whether self-defense was excessive, the intensity and urgency of the attack, as well as the necessity of the defensive measures, should be comprehensively considered. In this case, multiple people on the other side were armed, actively provoked the attack, and blocked the passageway; the intensity, danger, and urgency of the attack were all extremely high.
Although Lü Yi made inappropriate remarks, her subsequent actions demonstrated a clear intention to avoid conflict, making her a passive recipient of the infringement. Therefore, I believe that Lü Yi did not bear any legal fault in this case regarding the escalation of the unlawful infringement.
He not only analyzed the behavior, but also cited legal provisions, elevating Lü Yi's case to the level of legal principles for interpretation.
Next, Lawyer Zhou demonstrated even more astonishing professional competence. He acted as if he were a tactical analyst on the scene, breaking down and legally characterizing every key action of the main personnel present after the conflict broke out.
He first mentioned the assassin who knocked down the leader of the burly men with a wine bottle:
"Regarding the gentleman who first used the bottle, his behavior needs to be considered within the specific context."
The surveillance video should clearly show that the leader of the opposing group had already swung a baseball bat, rushed towards and attempted to attack Mr. Lin Feng, who was sitting in his seat. The attack had already occurred and was extremely imminent.
The man's actions were a necessary and unavoidable counterattack taken to stop an unlawful infringement in an emergency situation where he saw others about to suffer serious personal injury and that he himself might also be threatened.
As for the attack site being the back of the head, it's unrealistic to expect an ordinary person to precisely choose the point of attack in such a chaotic and split-second moment. This is an unconscious attack, and the key point is that its purpose is to stop the harm, not to pursue a specific harmful result.
Therefore, this act does not possess the direct intent to cause harm, and thus meets the elements of legitimate self-defense.
His analysis was clear, logical, and meticulous, perfectly embedding a seemingly vicious "headshot" into the legal framework of legitimate self-defense.
Moreover, Lawyer Zhou even noticed that the participants present were not "arranged" by Lin Feng —the two young diners who were genuinely hot-blooded and had joined in the fight.
"In addition, there were two young people at the scene who, according to my observation, were complete strangers to us. Their actions were taken out of righteous indignation and a sense of civic responsibility after witnessing multiple people committing crimes with weapons and after others had stepped forward to stop the crimes.
Although the process may have been somewhat impulsive, their initial intention was positive and falls within the category of acts of heroism. Their actions are fundamentally different in nature from premeditated and organized armed retaliation by the other party.
He cleverly incorporated the actions of these two genuine "passersby" into the grand narrative of "stopping illegal infringements," further reinforcing the legitimacy and righteousness of his own actions.
Time slipped by quietly as Lawyer Zhou meticulously presented his statement. When he finally finished speaking, leaned back slightly, and returned to a standard sitting posture, the entire interrogation room fell into a brief silence.
Officer Wang and Officer Li exchanged a glance, both seeing undisguised astonishment and a hint of... amused and exasperated expression in each other's eyes.
Officer Wang looked down at the densely packed, logically structured interrogation record in front of him, which even included its own legal analysis. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Goodness... if this were organized, it could practically be submitted as a case report with comments..."
Officer Li shook his head with a wry smile, rubbed his throbbing temples, and sighed, "He's definitely a professional lawyer... his thinking and eloquence are quite something."
They were not just facing a party involved in the case, but rather a well-prepared defense lawyer. He broke down the complex on-site conflict into individual behavioral units that met the legal requirements, and then rewrote them with rigorous logic and legal language to construct an almost impeccable narrative of "legitimate self-defense."