Posted on 09/01/2009 10:52:29 AM PDT by marktwain
Jackson police are investigating a shooting that may fall under the "Castle Doctrine," Mississippi's law governing justifiable homicide in the defense of a home or business. The shooting took place at approximately 5 p.m. Sunday at Gipson's Discount Foods on Highway 80 in West Jackson.
Police say that a man carrying a large knife and a handgun attempted to enter the store through a back door. A relative of the store's owners shot and killed the intruder. Jackson Police Department spokesman Lt. Jeffery Scott said this morning that the shooter lives on the premises, but would not release his name.
Scott added that the department's investigation was "still ongoing." Of the shooting victim, Scott said, "We have not identified him as of yet." Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart is attempting to identify the suspect from his fingerprints, which could take a few days, Scott said.
Sunday's shooting marks the city's 28th homicide this year. Homicides in the city are down roughly 30 percent from last year.
The shooting also comes almost exactly one year after a pair of convenience-store shootings re-ignited debate over the state's Castle Doctrine law, which the Mississippi Legislature passed in 2006. Under the law, the owner or occupant of a building can use deadly force to defend against bodily harm or a felony crime on his or her property.
On Aug. 17, 2008, Sarbrinder Pannu, a clerk at J & S Food Mart on Medgar Evers Boulevard fatally shot a 36-year-old unarmed man, James Hawthorne, as Hawthorne attempted to leave without paying for a case of beer. A Hinds County Grand Jury later indicted Pannu on charges of murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle.
Days after Hawthorne's shooting, on Aug. 25, 23-year-old Terrence Prior, wearing a clown mask and brandishing a gun, robbed the Chuk Stop on Robinson Road. The store clerk chased Prior as he left the store, shot and killed him. Prior also fired a shot at the clerk, although it was unclear who fired first. In that case, police declined to press charges against the clerk and did not release his name.
Note to self - be sure to keep my receipt out and clearly visible when buying beer at this store.
Probably because the population dropped by 30%.
Jackson used to be such a nice town.
If the guy lived in the store, I cannot see there being any legal issue here, given the facts presented here. I am not sure on how JFP feels about the castle doctrine, some of their moderators/owners can be quite liberal on some topics. For quality of information, though, they are still vastly superior to the other print alternative, Clarion-Liar.
The robber had a knife and a gun and the sheriff figures the shooting “MAY HAVE BEEN” justifiable??!! What would he need to make it obvious—a bazooka?
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