GUILTY MI - Lost Teen Narrowly Escapes Being Shot, Rochester Hills, Apr 2018

[dalsglen]

There's a few times in my life I reckon I could have been trigger happy, which is why I think I'm so bloody grateful to live in the UK. I don't know about this man, and clearly he's pulled his gun before, but of course I don't know if he's racist or not but damn sure the media will court the young lad being black. It incites anger and attention.

 

[bluesneakers]

Prosecutors: Black Teen Knocks On Door To Ask For Directions, Is Shot At By White Homeowner

Walker’s statement to police differed from that given by Zeigler, according to assistant prosecutor Kelly Collins.

“We do have the benefit of home security video,” Collins told the court Friday. He said Zeigler’s account was not borne out by the video.

“The victim in this matter, a 14-year-old child, indicated what had happened to the police and his version did bear out on that video,” he said.

Walker’s mother, Lisa Wright, said it was clear to her what was behind the shooting after investigators showed her the security video.

“After watching the video and hearing the wife say ‘why did these people choose my house?’ I knew it was racially-motivated,” Wright told WXYZ-TV. “I don’t know what other ‘these people’ she could possibly have been talking about. He was by himself.”

 

[LadyL]

if the man was so frightened, all he had to do was keep his door closed and dial 911

if he is that off-kilter that he cannot keep himself safe inside while calling the cops, then he probably should not be allowed a gun

I am not buying his load

 

[Satchie]

I can't buy the theory that a former firefighter was 'scared' by a teen (with glasses) knocking on his door in broad daylight. I think it's a pretty safe bet the door was well-locked. After having been trained to confront and control a raging fire, did he used to arrive at the scene of a building in flames, with smoke, screaming people, and become so scared he lost control and went amock, endangering the lives of the other firefighters and nearby public?

I believe this was aggression. This was an action that said "how dare you walk on my property and knock on my door, get the h*** off my property" kind of action.

We can only speculate why, but most of us know, it wasn't because he thought this kid was a JW, or a Girl Guide, or a neighbour asking to borrow his ladder.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

White Man Shot at Black Teen Who Asked for Directions
‘It definitely was a hate crime,’ the teen’s mom said.

A retired, white Detroit firefighter was charged with assault with intent to murder Friday after shooting at a black 14-year-old who knocked on his door to ask for directions to school, authorities said.

Brennan Walker, of Rochester Hills, Michigan, woke up late Thursday morning and missed his bus to school, so he attempted to make the nearly 4-mile trek on foot but got lost.

The high school freshman, who was hoping to find a “short cut,” got directions from one homeowner but soon lost his way again, WDIV 4 Local reported. That’s when he approached a home on South Christian Hill Drive...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-man-shot-at-black-teen-who-asked-for-directions

 

[bluesneakers]

"I am asking that I stay in the same house and keep my family together, I'm begging," Zeigler pleaded.

:whine:

Maybe he thought this was his chance to become a folk hero like Zimmerman, complete with fame and a giant .

 

[foxbluff]

I consider it poetic justice that the homeowner's security video recorded his crime.

In the words of Shakespeare: "Hoist with his own petard"

 

[foxbluff]

White Man Shot at Black Teen Who Asked for Directions
‘It definitely was a hate crime,’ the teen’s mom said.

A retired, white Detroit firefighter was charged with assault with intent to murder Friday after shooting at a black 14-year-old who knocked on his door to ask for directions to school, authorities said.

Brennan Walker, of Rochester Hills, Michigan, woke up late Thursday morning and missed his bus to school, so he attempted to make the nearly 4-mile trek on foot but got lost.

The high school freshman, who was hoping to find a “short cut,” got directions from one homeowner but soon lost his way again, WDIV 4 Local reported. That’s when he approached a home on South Christian Hill Drive...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-man-shot-at-black-teen-who-asked-for-directions

Thanks for this link.

BBM - Glad to see that this young teen got directions from a different homeowner earlier in the morning. Hopefully, that homeowner will come forward and confirm his story.

 

[Woodland]

I'm also thankful for the article posted today by BetteDavisEyes - there is a little more clarity in the actual events -

Police records said Jeffrey Ziegler, 53, chased Walker into the yard and fired a 12-gauge shotgun at the fleeing teen. The Michigan homeowner missed his first shot because the gun’s safety lock was still in place, authorities said. He popped off another round after disengaging the safety, according to police. Walker, who wasn’t injured, said he cried as he tried to hide from the gun-wielding man.

At one point, Ziegler and his wife called 911 claiming Walker was trying to break into their home, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said.

Ziegler was adamant he was going to shoot someone, even if it was in the back.

I like the statement from the NAACP at the end of this article -

Face it America, we have a problem. It’s called racism. Until we own it, we cannot cure it.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-man-shot-at-black-teen-who-asked-for-directions

 

[Woodland]

I'm looking forward to Mrs Z visiting her husband in jail for many years in the future, rather than the teen's mom visiting a graveyard or staring at an urn wondering why for the rest of her days. Trust the Z's will have to sell their house in order to help pay the legal costs for this egregious event - making the neighborhood safer.

Jmo.

 

[human]

I'm looking forward to Mrs Z visiting her husband in jail for many years in the future, rather than the teen's mom visiting a graveyard or staring at an urn wondering why for the rest of her days. Trust the Z's will have to sell their house in order to help pay the legal costs for this egregious event - making the neighborhood safer.

Jmo.

They will probably start a for this terrified man. I am sure he will have his cheerleaders.

The costs for a lawyer will be huge.

Maybe someone will start a for a college fund for that brave young man.

 

[Woodland]

They will probably start a for this terrified man. I am sure he will have his cheerleaders.

The costs for a lawyer will be huge.

Maybe someone will start a for a college fund for that brave young man.

BBM - yes, after all he was doing his damnedest to get to school that day.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I wasn't certain about the attendance area for Rochester High School and looked it up this morning. It's at this link in a PDF. https://www.rochester.k12.mi.us/pages/5055/attendance-maps

It's entirely possible that the teen lives on the west side of Adams and isn't familiar with the subdivisions along the bus route to the school. RHS start time is 7:30AM which means that bus riders could be picked up at 6:45. Streetlamps are rare in most subdivisions in RH and are usually only at main entrances. For much of the school year, students ride the bus in the dark and may not be familiar with the route.

 

[bluesneakers]

I'm looking forward to Mrs Z visiting her husband in jail for many years in the future, rather than the teen's mom visiting a graveyard or staring at an urn wondering why for the rest of her days. Trust the Z's will have to sell their house in order to help pay the legal costs for this egregious event - making the neighborhood safer.

Jmo.

:goodpost:

Well said. Thank you.

 

[Woodland]

Can't help but wonder what kind of conversation Mr and Mrs Z are having today. Reality must be setting in by now.

 

[human]

Can't help but wonder what kind of conversation Mr and Mrs Z are having today. Reality must be setting in by now.

I imagine there are white supremacy groups calling and giving them moral support . I wonder if the reality of having to hire an attorney ha$ $et in?

 

[Woodland]

I imagine there are white supremacy groups calling and giving them moral support . I wonder if the reality of having to hire an attorney ha$ $et in?

I can imagine there's a large boo-hoo factor going on.

Is he blaming her? He can't blame her for his actions, but that doesn't mean he won't. I don't usually use all caps but -

Mr - YOU SCREAMED HE WAS BREAKING IN THE HOUSE!!! YOU DIDN'T SAY HE KNOCKED ON THE DOOR!!!! NOW I'M FACING 17 TO LIFE IN JAIL!!!! WE'LL HAVE TO SELL THE HOUSE - A HOUSE I CAN'T EVEN LIVE IN AT THE MOMENT!!!!

Mrs - But, but, but I didn't know what he was doing or what he wanted, he was b_____. That's all I knew at the time.

JMimagination. I can't even begin to fathom this or anything similar happening in my home.

 

[Jackeee]

So, Mrs Z would have known from the security system that a black person was knocking at the door.
She opened the door anyway and flipped out on him.
The man of the hour comes downstairs, grabs his gun and goes after the teen.
The safety was on so he missed shooting him in the back. Mr Z tries again and misses.
It seems to me like Mr and Mrs were spoiling for a fight and this young man happened to come by. IMO
I wonder if she yelled at him to stop when he went after the teen?

Did I miss anything in this?

 

[orangesandapples]

Unbelievable. I'm sure this pathetic excuse for a human being has enough defenders running to his side saying it's ok to shoot at a stranger on your porch. Which it is not, in civilized society.

 

[human]

American tough guys with their guns at their sides. I imagine they have been dreaming of the day they could be part of the narrative of the hero saving the world from the roving bands of people from the ghetto.