I don't completely agree with this, though I understand where you're coming from. It is possible and not all that uncommon to kill someone with your fists, especially when you're also slamming their head on the pavement. It's also possible to receive permanent brain damage to varying degrees. I knew a guy who got sucker punched outside a bar when I was younger; he fell and hit his head on the curb and was never the same person again afterward. If I was in a situation where I felt I was in this sort of danger, I would take every measure availale to make sure that doesn't happen. Does that apply to this case? I don't know