Section 279

When any person, whether subject to military law or not believes on reasonable grounds, that serious mischief will arise from a riot before there is time to procure the intervention of a peace officer, it is lawful for him to use such force as he believes, on reasonable grounds, to be necessary for the suppression of the riot and as is reasonably proportioned to the danger which he believes on reasonable grounds, is to be apprehended from his its continuance