A Detroit-area jury has convicted a man of murdering a young woman who banged on his door early one morning last November, in a case that tested limits on the use of deadly force to defend a dwelling.
Theodore Wafer, 55, was found guilty on Thursday of second-degree murder, manslaughter and a felony-firearm charge in the murder of Renisha McBride, 19, according to news reports.
Under Michigan law, second-degree murder is an intentional killing that does not qualify as first-degree murder.
Wafer, who faces life in prison, testified that he killed McBride in self-defense after she pounded on his front and side doors at about 4:30 a.m. He claimed that he reached for his shotgun and later fired through the locked screen door because he feared that someone was trying to break into his suburban Detroit home.
McBride, who toxicology tests showed was intoxicated at the time of her death, had been involved in an automobile accident earlier that morning.
The killing raised racial tensions in Detroit. Wafer is white. McBride was black.
Prosecutors said Wafer’s self-defense claim was contravened by his failure to call 911 when he first heard the pounding. He testified at trial that he did not even look to see who was outside before firing.
Under Michigan law, a person may use deadly force only if he reasonably believes that it is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm, the Times reported. However, there is no requirement that a person retreat inside his home.
By contrast, New York requires that a person retreat from his doorway before using lethal force.