Michigan man convicted of assault for shooting at lost black teen

AP logo
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Man convicted of assault for shooting at lost black teen
Man convicted of assault for shooting at lost black teen (ABC News)

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- A retired firefighter has been convicted of assault for shooting at a black teenager who came to his suburban Detroit home for directions.

Jeffrey Zeigler was charged with attempted murder, but Oakland County jurors on Friday convicted him of the lesser assault charge and a gun crime.

Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App

Fourteen-year-old Brennan Walker told police he missed a school bus on April 12 and knocked on Zeigler's door in Rochester Hills after getting lost while walking.

Brennan says he ran after seeing a man inside the house grab a gun. The teen heard a gunshot but wasn't hurt.

Zeigler testified that he woke up to his wife's screams. He says she believed that someone was trying to break into their home.

Home video showed the 53-year-old Zeigler raising a shotgun twice before firing toward Brennan.