Black teen misses bus, gets shot at after asking for directions in Rochester Hills

[PeachyKeane]

I hope a black kid never knocks on your door.

He'll be fine. As a minority in this country I really shouldn't possess a gun. People shoot at us just for knocking on their door, and arrest us for going in a coffee shop! Imagine if I had a firearm?

 

[SummerMadness]

He'll be fine. As a minority in this country I really shouldn't possess a gun. People shoot at us just for knocking on their door, and arrest us for going in a coffee shop! Imagine if I had a firearm?

There's a list out there that you we have to keep adding to so we can avoid these constant incidents of living while black. For the most part, it is always up to the black person to put others at ease because if someone shoots you or responds to you in a negative manner, it's obviously something you did. An unarmed kid trying to get to school is shot at and goes to the police and "there's got to be more to this story" because when a firearm is discharged, we know who the suspect is.

 

[Hammster]

There's a list out there that you we have to keep adding to so we can avoid these constant incidents of living while black. For the most part, it is always up to the black person to put others at ease because if someone shoots you or responds to you in a negative manner, it's obviously something you did. An unarmed kid trying to get to school is shot at and goes to the police and "there's got to be more to this story" because when a firearm is discharged, we know who the suspect is.

Yes, and if you read what I wrote, instead of what you think I wrote, I never said anything to the contrary. My guess is that because I responded to you, you automatically assumed I was posting contrary to you when in fact I was agreeing with you.

 

[SummerMadness]

Yes, and if you read what I wrote, instead of what you think I wrote, I never said anything to the contrary. My guess is that because I responded to you, you automatically assumed I was posting contrary to you when in fact I was agreeing with you.

My post has nothing to do with what you wrote. Like, really. Nothing. To. Do. With. Your. Post.

 

[Hammster]

My post has nothing to do with what you wrote. Like, really. Nothing. To. Do. With. Your. Post.

Mkay.

 

[SummerMadness]

Mkay.

I guess it was an automatic assumption, no biggie.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Update: Shooter found guilty

Jeffrey Zeigler, 53, was found guilty by a jury in Oakland County Circuit Court of assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the April 12 incident at his home

 

[OldWiseGuy]

He'll be fine. As a minority in this country I really shouldn't possess a gun. People shoot at us just for knocking on their door, and arrest us for going in a coffee shop! Imagine if I had a firearm?

News flash. Minorities have plenty of guns (or plenty of minorities have guns).

 

[SarahsKnight]

Update: Shooter found guilty

Jeffrey Zeigler, 53, was found guilty by a jury in Oakland County Circuit Court of assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the April 12 incident at his home

Good. I skimmed that article. Trying to protect his wife, my butt. There was no danger, and it was obvious enough. He was just another trigger-happy Dirty Harry wannabe who cannot be trusted to own and use guns responsibly. So what if he "only fired it into the air"? So? It was still ridiculous to even so much as feel the need to scare a kid already fleeing away with a shot period. Someone still could have been hurt. He deserves a bit of jail time, and if I were the kid who had been chased away and was there in court to see him found guilty that day, I would have given Jerry Zeigler my middle finger on his way out in handcuffs.


This quoted from the end of the article:
In early statements to police, Zeigler gave a different version: that he had slipped on the porch and the shotgun accidentally discharged. When confronted with his own video, Zeigler took a drink of water and told Oakland County Detective Shawn Pace, "I was tired of being a victim," Pace testified this week.

"tired of being a victim", huh? So it's better to just carelessly wave your shotgun around on the off-chance that the next person whose head you just blew off might have had intent to rob you? (i.e. not even take your life, like you just quickly resorted to taking his?) I must ask, does holding a gun in your hands - knowing that even an everyman like yourself with no combat training, acquired toughness, or military experience or something whatsoever now has the ability to easily kill another person with a single twitch of your index finger - make you feel awesome or something? Like a real man? A cowboy? John McClane?

 

[Willie T]

If you simply missed your usual bus, and you already know the path the bus travels, why would you ever go knocking on a stranger's door to ask them how to get to your school?

 

[JackRT]

If you simply missed your usual bus, and you already know the path the bus travels, why would you ever go knocking on a stranger's door to ask them how to get to your school?

School buses frequently follow a complex routing. I can easily understand that a kid might not know the exact route.

 

[RDKirk]

If you simply missed your usual bus, and you already know the path the bus travels, why would you ever go knocking on a stranger's door to ask them how to get to your school?

Apparently he'd never paid attention to the route his bus traveled.

Or are you implying that the boy really did intend to rob/rape/murder/whatever that couple?

 

[Willie T]

Apparently he'd never paid attention to the route his bus traveled.

Or are you implying that the boy really did intend to rob/rape/murder/whatever that couple?

I think I asked a very reasonable question. Why would you knock on a strangers door to ask directions to your own school? You can go ahead and try to add anything you want to my question if you hope that will make you feel better. But, how about answering the simple, straight-forward question I asked.
With all the schools I went to, I can't recall ever not knowing where my own school was.

And, if you missed your school bus, wouldn't you just turn around and walk the short way back to your own house?

 

[RDKirk]

I think I asked a very reasonable question. Why would you knock on a strangers door to ask directions to your own school? You can go ahead and try to add anything you want to my question if you hope that will make you feel better. But, how about answering the simple, straight-forward question I asked.
With all the schools I went to, I can't recall ever not knowing where my own school was.

And, if you missed your school bus, wouldn't you just turn around and walk the short way back to your own house?

The reasonable answer to the reasonable question is: "He'd never paid attention to the route his bus traveled."

But if you keep pushing the issue then you're no longer being "reasonable," you're plying an agenda.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

I read several accounts. It's now a matter for the courts, which will require real evidence, not 'he said she said'. From the cheap seats I see the whole thing hinging on where he pointed the gun when he fired it. He might have believe that saying it 'went off' because he 'tripped' was his best defense, and maybe it will be. We'll just have to follow the case.

The courts will just get him plead something. He clearly shot at a kid. Because his wife was scared of them/ meaning black kids or black people . So she assumed she was going to get robbed, because the child was black (evil robber). And SHE never heard the pleads of this poor child asking for help.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

I think the worst part of the story is that the kid went to this house because they had a neighborhood watch sticker in their window, so he thought he could get help there. There really should be some qualifications for neighborhood watch...

Sadly, I think the crazy paranoid people are usually the people, that voluntary for this stuff.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

The courts will just get him plead something. He clearly shot at a kid. Because his wife was scared of them/ meaning black kids or black people . So she assumed she was going to get robbed, because the child was black (evil robber). And SHE never heard the pleads of this poor child asking for help.

I just saw the video. He was clearly shooting at the kid. However there might be more going on that most realize. We used to shoot at each other across a field or woods with shotguns but from a safe distance. The tiny shot pellets would rain down on us harmlessly. It appears that this guy knew his shot would do no harm but would send a message. At a certain distance the shot might 'sting' but do no serious harm.

 

[RDKirk]

I just saw the video. He was clearly shooting at the kid. However there might be more going on that most realize. We used to shoot at each other across a field or woods with shotguns but from a safe distance. The tiny shot pellets would rain down on us harmlessly. It appears that this guy knew his shot would do no harm but would send a message. At a certain distance the shot might 'sting' but do no serious harm.

And you think that was okay?

What "message" do you think that kid needed?

"Get off my lawn!" wasn't sufficient?

And, btw, a "safe" distance is a lot farther than on the porch, in the yard, or even across the street.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

And you think that was okay?

Of course not.

What "message" do you think that kid needed?

Be careful who you ask directions from.

And, btw, a "safe" distance is a lot farther than on the porch, in the yard, or even across the street.

Depends on the shot size.

 

[RDKirk]

Of course not.

Then what was actually the point of your post?

Be careful who you ask directions from.

Black people should never ask white people which is the right direction to go. Check.

Depends on the shot size.

Across the street? Any shot size will do a lot more than "sting."