he could've just as easily harmed someone he was supposedly trying to liberate

You can not harm someone's body in the actions or deeds that you do. The state does it all the time in their so called "war's for peace" or "war's to bring democracy" and call's it "collateral damage" but it's murder.

If you are trying to liberate someone you do not have the right to murder or harm, innocent bystanders or the humans your are saying you are trying to liberate. Not if you are a "normal human being" not if you are a state agent, soldier or bureaucrats (which are of course "normal human beings" too)