It's the difference between ethics (codified laws) and morals (societies implicit laws). Society (in aggregate through our elected officials) accepts that as se

It's the difference between ethics (codified laws) and morals (societies implicit laws). Society (in aggregate through our elected officials) accepts that as self defence for a police officer. Our laws could likely be used to prosecute him for murder (if the society that elected the prosecutor believed he should be). * I am giving a perspective from how these systems _do_ work, not how they _should_ work in my opinion.