In the laws of war, combatants are considered to be hors de combat (French: [ɔʁ də kɔ̃ba]; lit. ‘out of combat’), and thus protected persons, when they are unable to participate in fighting. Hors de combat personnel may not be intentionally targeted. Examples include persons parachuting from their disabled aircraft, shipwreck survivors, as well as the sick, wounded, detained, or otherwise disabled.
From The Wiki:
Sounds like Pete AND the guy pressing the button are both due for a jail cell.