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WHITE LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (DailyKenn.com) — A 24-year-old homeowner faces manslaughter charges after fatally shooting a 17-year-old suspected of breaking into his detached garage, authorities said Thursday, marking a rare prosecution in a case that has divided opinions on self-defense and property rights.
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The shooting occurred around 1 a.m. on July 8 in the 9000 block of Mandon Drive, when Dayton Knapton awoke to a motion-detecting alarm in his garage. According to investigators, a group of six suspects — including Sivan Wilson of Pontiac — had forced their way into the locked, windowless structure, apparently intent on burglary.
Knapton, armed with a legally registered 9mm semiautomatic handgun, rushed outside and fired two shots through the garage door without a clear view of anyone inside, prosecutors said. As the intruders fled on foot into the darkness, Knapton fired five additional rounds toward the retreating figures. He then retreated to his home, reloaded the weapon and returned to the scene, where police later found no one.
Wilson, struck by one of the initial shots through the door, managed to run about a mile away with the group before collapsing. His accomplices delayed seeking help for roughly 30 minutes, driving him and another wounded 17-year-old — who suffered a leg injury — to a location near Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in Commerce Township. First responders pronounced Wilson dead at the scene from a single gunshot wound to the torso.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced the charges against Knapton following a four-month investigation that included forensic analysis and interviews. He is accused of involuntary manslaughter, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, and two counts of carrying a firearm during a felony. If convicted, Knapton could face up to 15 years for manslaughter, 10 years for assault and two years each for the firearm charges, to be served consecutively. He was arraigned Thursday on $200,000 bond, with conditions barring contact with witnesses, possession of guns or leaving the state without permission. His next court date is Nov. 21.
McDonald emphasized that while gun ownership and home protection are sacred rights, they demand restraint. "The evidence shows this defendant crossed the line by firing outside his home at fleeing persons," she said. "His actions not only took a life but potentially endangered the surrounding community by firing his weapon into the night."
Knapton's attorney, Dov Lustig, decried the charges as unjust, calling the shooting "the purest example of self-defense." He noted Knapton had endured two prior break-ins at the property and acted instinctively to protect his family, with no intent to harm beyond repelling intruders.
Wilson's family expressed outrage over the manslaughter filing, demanding second-degree murder charges instead. "He was running away — how is that not murder?" said his father, Shawn Madden, who described the teen as a promising student with big dreams cut short. Sister Armani Madden added that the decision "hurts a lot" and fails to reflect what she sees as malicious intent.
The other suspects face breaking and entering charges: adult Matthew Grinage, 21, could get up to 10 years if convicted, while the juveniles are being handled through the family court system. Community members in White Lake Township, a quiet suburb northwest of Detroit, have voiced mixed sentiments online and in local forums, with some praising Knapton's vigilance against rising property crimes and others decrying the loss of young life as a tragic escalation.
The case highlights ongoing debates in Michigan over "stand your ground" laws and castle doctrine protections, which allow deadly force against intruders in one's home but limit pursuits outside. As Knapton prepares his defense, Wilson's loved ones mourn a teenager they say deserved mercy, not a bullet in the back.
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