Would the legal defense relate to the fact it it was a felony, or that one had a reasonable fear of great personal harm, which is different. (law.stackexchange.com)
People sometimes think that the courageous person does not feel fear in the midst of great danger and potential personal harm. (redeeminggod.com)
For example, excess dopamine might make our brain's reward system more responsive to the prospect of avoiding personal harm. (sciencemag.org)