<div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">The case is as follows:</blockquote>
<div> </div>
<div>Reuven tried to steal the diamond. Shimon yelled at him, causing Reuven to drop it. Reuven turns to run, Shimon chases after him with a knife threatening to kill him. Levi, standing a few feet away, has only two options - spray the blinding mace in Shimon's face, or pick up the diamond that Shimon left for the moment because he was busy trying to kill Reuven and yell out to Shimon that he has the diamond, with the plan being to cause Shimon to stop chasing Reuven out of concern for the loss of his diamond.
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I would think it a Davar Pashut that the second plan of action is far superior Halachically than permanently blinding the Rodef.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Regarding your question re Gezeila, IIUC, the point you were making is that if we find something which is more Chamur than Gezeila not being YV"Y, that would eliminate Gezeila being YV"Y. Ergo, Chavalah can't be more Chamur than Gezeila. My point is that, if so, any Aveira which is Chayav Misas Beis Din but not YV"Y would similarly eliminate Gezeila from being YV"Y.
</div><br> </div><br>