Oakland County man who fatally shot garage burglar in court for manslaughter, assault charges
WHITE LAKE, Mich. (FOX 2) - More details came out in court Thursday after a White Lake Township man shot and killed a burglar he caught breaking into his garage last year.
Knapton, 24, is charged with manslaughter, assault with intent to murder, and several weapons offenses for the shooting last summer that killed a 17-year-old.
Video was shown in court on Thursday of what appeared to be Knapton opening fire on several burglars - shooting as they ran away.
The suspect, Knapton, appears at the bottom right of the frame while a burglar in black runs.
The backstory:
Police said Knapton spotted seven people entering his detached garage in the 9000 block of Mandon Drive on a security camera shortly after 1 a.m. July 8 and went outside. That's when he started shooting at the group as they left the garage, causing them to run away.
After the shooting, White Lake Township police were notified that a 17-year-old was near Huron Valley Hospital in Commerce Township, while another 17-year-old was at the hospital.
Video of Oakland County man in deadly shooting of garage burglars
A man who shot and killed a burglar he caught breaking into his garage in White Lake Township is set to appear in court Thursday morning. Video was shown in court on Thursday of what appeared to be Knapton opening fire on several burglars - shooting as they ran away.
One of those gunshot victims died while the other one was receiving medical treatment for their injuries.
A neighbor who heard the gunshots said it was the third time someone had broken into the garage. That witness believes the suspects were after dirt bikes. His attorney confirmed this during a court hearing, saying Knapton had added a motion detector to his property because of attempted burglaries.
On Thursday three witnesses from White Lake police all testified about responding to the incident - with a fourth on Zoom due to a medical situation - who had to reschedule due to technical issues.
Officers testified that Knapton told them that he fired in defense, including Officer Mark Kas-Mikha.
"He said they came at him," Kas-Mikha said.
When asked by a prosecutor if that was what the video appeared to show, and he said: "No."
Another officer, Jessica Snow, said that she personally knew Knapton from when he was a teen and she was a student resource officer.
Snow reiterated a self-defense explanation offered by Knapton.
"He indicated that the suspect was coming at him," Snow said. "He said he fired on them to protect himself and his property."
The suspect, Knapton, appears at the bottom right of the frame while a burglar in black runs.
Dig deeper:
When prosecutors charged Knapton months after the shooting, they said he shot into his garage through a windowless, locked door, and then allegedly fired five more shots as the burglars fled.
Experts have argued that, based on the facts currently known, he was not justified in shooting the intruders.
FOX 2 legal analyst Charlie Langton said that while the law does allow you to protect yourself with deadly force, that does not apply to property.
"The law is very, very clear - you do not have a right to use deadly force to protect your property," Langton said, noting that a person has to be in imminent danger to utilize deadly force. "The law says you can use deadly force to defend yourself, your body, against imminent physical harm or sexual abuse or in a vehicle."
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The Source: Previous reporting was used in this story.