ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – A Rochester Hills man was found guilty Friday of firing shots at a 14-year-old boy who went to his door to ask for directions after missing the school bus.
Jeff Ziegler, a retired Detroit police officer, was convicted of assault by a jury, but the prosecution didn't get the full verdict it wanted.
Home security video showed Ziegler firing shots at Brennan Walker. Ziegler was found guilty of assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder and a felony firearms violation. The convictions automatically mean prison time for Ziegler.
"We the jury find Mr. Ziegler guilty of the lesser charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm," a juror read.
The judge revoked Ziegler's bond, and bailiffs cuffed him and brought him to jail.
Officials said Walker missed the school bus the morning of April 12 and tried to walk to school. He knocked on the front door of Ziegler's home, looking for directions.
Ziegler's home had previously been broken into several times, once when the family was home.
Ziegler testified that he was tired of being a victim and came out of the house with a Mossberg shotgun he kept in his office. He said he fired in Walker's direction after he'd run away.
His attorney, Rob Morad, said the prosecution overcharged Ziegler.
"He's been extremely remorseful," Morad said. "He wishes he didn't go outside that day, and he certainly was not trying to hurt this individual."
Walker's mother, Lisa Wright, isn't buying Ziegler's story.
"We try to be as normal as possible, but on the inside, everything has changed," Wright said.
Ziegler faces a minimum of two years in prison for the felony firearms charge. The punishment for intent to commit great bodily harm ranges from probation to 10 years in prison.