MISSISSIPPI’S CASTLE DOCTRINE

In Mississippi, you are allowed to use defensive force if another person is in the process of forcibly entering your legally occupied property. This right is not restricted to just your home. It can extend to a business, place of employment, or a vehicle.

Killing another person is justifiable if you are resisting any felony in any dwelling, in any occupied vehicle, in any place of business, in any place of employment, or the immediate premises thereof. A person who uses defensive force shall be presumed to have reasonably feared imminent death or great bodily harm, or the commission of a felony upon him or another or upon his dwelling, or against a vehicle which he was occupying, or against his business or place of employment or the immediate premises of such business or place of employment, if the person against whom the defensive force was used, was in the process of unlawfully and forcibly entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, occupied vehicle, business, place of employment or the immediate premises thereof or if that person had unlawfully removed or was attempting to unlawfully remove another against the other person’s will from that dwelling, occupied vehicle, business, place of employment or the immediate premises thereof and the person who used defensive force knew or had reason to believe that the forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred.

This presumption does not apply if the person against whom defensive force was used had a right to be in or was a lawful resident or owner of the dwelling, vehicle, business, place of employment or the immediate premises thereof or is the lawful resident or owner of the dwelling, vehicle, business, place of employment or the immediate premises thereof or if the person who uses defensive force is engaged in an unlawful activity or if the person is a law enforcement officer engaged in the performance of his official duties.