Opinion ID: 1822272
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Was McDowell Entitled To A Self-Defense Instruction?

Text: ¶ 10. McDowell secondly argues that his self-defense instruction (D 6) should have been given. Even though McDowell's theory of his case was that he was not there and he did not commit the crime, he nevertheless requested a self-defense instruction in response to Hill's testimony. However, Hill's testimony provided no credible evidence to support the requested self-defense jury instruction. His only statement which even remotely implies that McDowell acted in self defense was made during the State's direct examination, when the prosecutor asked him to [t]ell me what Whitten was doing. Hill responded that he was [j]ust standing there and he took a stop [sic] toward Antonio, Antonio took a step back. Hill continued by saying he went to close the front door and that was when he heard the shot. Even if McDowell was allowed to now change his testimony and say that he was at Whitten's store the day of the shooting, McDowell would still not be able to claim self-defense. A defendant is not entitled to use deadly force in self-defense based upon a subjective fear of great bodily injury unless it is determined by a jury that this fear is reasonable under the circumstances. Walters v. State, 720 So.2d 856, 862 (Miss.1998). ¶ 11. McDowell relies heavily on Dew v. State, 748 So.2d 751 (Miss.1999), where this Court reversed on grounds that the defendant's pre-arming himself did not deter him from receiving a warranted self-defense instruction. Id. McDowell also relies upon Hopson v. State, 625 So.2d 395 (Miss.1993), a case where a drug defendant denied that he sold narcotics, but then asked the trial court for an entrapment instruction. Both these cases are inapplicable to the case at hand. ¶ 12. McDowell's entire defense and the theory of his case was an alibi defense. He insisted that he was not present in the store the day that Whitten was shot and killed. He did not offer an alibi instruction. His alternate theory was only presented by defense counsel in chambers during the process of determining which jury instructions would be given to the jury. The trial court properly refused McDowell's requested self-defense instruction.