When Defending Your Home Gets You Arrested, Detroit Homeowner Charged After Stopping Late-Night Home Invasion

A Michigan homeowner who confronted a group of alleged intruders breaking into his property is now facing manslaughter charges, a case that has sparked outrage and renewed debate over the limits of self-defense in America.

The incident occurred in White Lake Township, outside Detroit, where 24-year-old Dayton Knapton responded after multiple teenagers were caught on security cameras breaking into his detached garage in the middle of the night.

According to investigators, surveillance footage shows a group of teens dressed in dark clothing crawling underneath the garage door and entering the structure. Moments later, prosecutors say Knapton appears in the corner of the video firing a handgun toward the garage from another angle.

Authorities say gunfire erupted shortly after the group entered the building. The teens can then be seen running out of the garage in a panic.

One of them, 17-year-old Sivan Wilson, was fatally struck during the shooting, while another individual suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.

Despite the group allegedly breaking into the property, Knapton was arrested and charged with manslaughter, a charge that could carry a lengthy prison sentence if he is convicted.

Prosecutors argue that deadly force cannot be used simply to protect property, claiming the homeowner fired as the group was attempting to flee the scene.

Critics of the charges, however, say the case represents a troubling example of a homeowner being punished for defending his property against intruders in the middle of the night.

Security footage reportedly shows the entire break-in unfolding, with multiple suspects entering the garage before the shooting occurred.

Authorities also charged several members of the group with breaking and entering, acknowledging that the teens were involved in the alleged burglary attempt.

Still, the focus of the case has shifted to the homeowner himself, raising questions among observers about whether citizens can legally defend their property when confronted with criminal activity.

The case is now moving through the courts as prosecutors and defense attorneys prepare for a legal battle that could determine whether the shooting was an unlawful act or a homeowner responding to a perceived threat on his own property.