Posted on 11/13/2018 10:59:09 AM PST by yesthatjallen
A white retired firefighter in Michigan found guilty of firing a shotgun from his porch at a black teenager who knocked on his front door because he was lost was sentenced Tuesday to four to 10 years in prison.
Jeffrey Zeigler, dressed in a grey jumpsuit with his hands shackled in front of him, appeared in an Oakland County courtroom where a judge sentenced him to two to 10 years for one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and two years for one count of felony firearm. He was convicted on Oct. 12.
The sentences will be consecutive, meaning Zeigler will serve at least two years for the assault count and another two years for the firearm count, the judge said.
Zeigler, 53, was seen on home surveillance video around 8:20 a.m. ET on April 12 shooting at Brennan Walker as the teen fled down the street. Walker told police that he had missed his school bus that morning and got lost as he was walking through Rochester Hills.
Walker, 14, said he went to Zeigler's home to ask for directions to Rochester High School, where he is a freshman.
"I knocked on the door, stepped back, knocked, stepped back, and then a lady came downstairs yelling at me," he told NBC-affiliate WDIV in April.
Walker said Zeigler's wife picked up the phone to call police, reporting that “a black male was trying to break into her house.”
Ziegler, a retired Detroit firefighter, grabbed his shotgun and chased after Walker, firing one round as the teen fled.
"I was running away ... I was trying to run away faster and I heard a gunshot," Walker said.
Perhaps the word "at" has a more expansive meaning for you than for me. In my understanding the word "at" with a shotgun means dead or badly injured. "In the general direction of" does not mean "at", in my understanding.
I have long heard accounts of people firing shotguns over people's heads, and so do not consider the concept so remarkable. I've known quite a few people who claim such a thing had been done to them.
Firing a shotgun over someone's head, or to the side, has a long history in this country, and what is astonishing is to see people freak out about it as if they've never heard of it.
Nice attempt at deflection but that belongs on another thread............
<<Firing a shotgun over someone’s head, or to the side, has a long history in this country, and what is astonishing is to see people freak out about it as if they’ve never heard of it.
Just watch the video at some point before you keep making a further fool of yourself.
The kid ran a specific direction - the perp aimed and shot at him in the direction the kid was running as evidenced by the video.
I have no more info than what the video shows, but given that the jury agreed with my conclusion, as well as the overwhelming majority of those posting in this thread, you are MOST LIKELY in the wrong. The rest is for you to decide.
"...Thanks for the clarification, friend..."
Best argument i've heard up to this point, but this information was not in evidence at the beginning of this thread.
So the guy wasn't convicted of a felony in the previous case, but was convicted of one in this case? Was he actually convicted, or was he just arrested and charged? Your snippet doesn't say he was convicted, it just says he was arrested.
Found the article.
"Zeigler eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge but served no jail time, court records show."
Misdemeanor charge the first time, double felony the second time. Well this more justifies it, but it still seems way over the top to me.
Assault with intent to murder without any actual assault or murder occurring? How does that work?
Then throw on a charge of possession of a firearm in commission of a felony before it has been demonstrated to be a felony?
If he beats the first charge, he automatically beats the second charge. If he's convicted on the first charge, he's automatically convicted on the second. Sounds like leverage rather than justice.
The law has it's machinations that look suspiciously like abuse to me.
<<That other poster won’t watch the video to view the neighborhood to recognize the sheer reckless decisions of the moronic retired firefighter.
Now that I’m a bit calmer... I get where the anger was coming from with DiogenesLamp’s defense of the retired firefighter. I don’t excuse it, but I understand it to some extent.
Still, if one is to expect a consistent approach to law enforcement, there oughta be some standard we should all adhere to, otherwise it all falls apart. I don’t know know what was going on in that fellow’s head when he decided to shoot at the kid, but logic dictates that even in the heat of the moment, he was unlawful in firing his weapon at a someone retreating... especially in this case, with no injury or threat to the person.
He had his chance to defend himself in a jury of his peers and they decided his action was not appropriate. I would agree with their decision. We all have our opinions...
One does not easily miss with a shotgun if one knows how to shoot a shotgun. Also no follow up shots.
You see it as separate, I see it as a part of the larger whole. From my perspective, the whole society has lost it's f***ing mind, and these bits and pieces are symptoms of a greater underlying problem.
Guy doesn't hurt anyone, get's four to ten years in prison, loses citizenship rights, probably put's his wife's future in jeopardy, might lose their home. Woman actually kills girl, gets fined $25.00?
Nuts. Everybody is nuts.
You may trust the system, but i've seen it screw up too many times.
Ya think? Attempted murder of a fleeing teenager is not frivolous.......
I now think it was about liberal advocacy of gun control and excessive punishment for gun owners/users.
Oakland county is Trump owned and is an extremely conservative county here in Michigan where gun ownership and open carry is the law of the land. So your argument is baseless........
Give it up sweetheart, when you're in a hole and trying to get out, stop digging...........LOL!
Argumentum ad populum has never moved me. I see wrong people in agreement all the time.
Thanks for the additional discovery.......Diogenes Lamp is going to be hard pressed to discredit this claim.........
Your failed arguments on this thread have proven that YOU are the one who is nuts.........give it up and go to bed............Sheesh!
"Attempted murder" is an accusation, and one that doesn't seem to fit the evidence. If one is attempting murder with a shotgun, one is pretty unlucky to miss, but one also has more shells for further attempts.
The fact that there were no further attempts would tend to indicate there was no intent to commit murder. Were *I* attempting murder, I would keep firing and chasing. I think that is what most people would do who intend murder.
Oakland county is Trump owned and is an extremely conservative county here in Michigan where gun ownership and open carry is the law of the land. So your argument is baseless........
Well if that's true, theory number two is possibly wrong. Not necessarily though. Lots of gun haters in the legal system. Of course hatred for people who are perceived as taking the law into their own hands is universally ingrained in the legal system.
They absolutely detest anyone challenging their monopoly on punishment of crime... conservative or liberal.
Give it up sweetheart, when you're in a hole and trying to get out, stop digging...........LOL!
I may occasionally get things wrong, but I have no embarrassment for trying to understand something that doesn't make any sense to me. Perhaps if I could see the video, it would have made more sense. I'll watch it later on my other machine.
It definitely strengthens the argument that perhaps this wasn't such an unfair outcome, but we had no knowledge of this "prior" before this story was dumped on us.
Just the facts as I know them make this seem like a miscarriage of justice. Further incriminating information clarifies this more.
As John Maynard Keynes said, "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do sir? "
Meh. It's not what people call you, it's what you answer to. Maybe I am nuts. I certainly don't feel like the world makes sense to me anymore.
Glad for all of you for whom it does.
What important lesson did the kid learn?
Better be fast if you’re going to be black?
Don’t case people’s houses during work days. If you think this kids story is true, you also think he is 5 years old.
If anyone on this thread owns a firearm, please listen to what I say. You can lawfully use your firearm in a few instances. First rule: Defense only. If you can retreat/not shoot then FREAKIN DON’T!!! You do not have to open your door. You do not have to cower in your closet. Your right to self defence is your LAST option. If you must use it, there is a good chance that it will be obvious and you won’t even be charged.
This shooting was unnecessary. If you stand down and the kid kicks your door open, smoke him. You are clean in most states. Easiest legal option. Shoot when all other options are exhausted.
I would assume he was offered some kind of plea deal and didn't take it. It's possible the DA didn't want to deal due to the previous case, as well as video evidence making it a slam dunk win. Agree (as I posted before) that the 4-10 years is a bit much. Seeing as no one was injured, 1 year in prison, 2-5 more years parole, and felony conviction resulting in loss of 2A rights probably would have sufficed.
Seems the detectives, DA, judge and jury disagree.
Too bad folks like you who know everyone’s true motivations can’t just mete out justice.
Think of the money we would save.
If you think he was asking for directions to his school, you are out of your mind. I would agree with you if he was seven, but he ain’t.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.