A Wayne County jury found 62-year-old Herbert Joyce guilty as charged in a case that began with a dispute over loud music and ended with a neighbor shot, a dog stabbed, and a SWAT team surrounding his Southgate home. The conviction came more than two years after the September 2024 incident that put the quiet residential block on the 12900 block of Kerr Street in the middle of a standoff.
According to the The News Herald, Joyce was engaged in a dispute with a 24-year-old man at the younger man's home near North Line Road and Fort Street in September 2024. Per the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, the dispute escalated into Joyce firing a handgun several times and wounding the younger man. Police told FOX 2 Detroit that the clash started simply: “It started over loud music.”
From there, the confrontation grew far more dangerous. Joyce fled the younger man's home and barricaded himself inside his own home. Police responded as the standoff unfolded.
A Dog Caught in the Middle
The dog died, according to an earlier report from MLive.
MLive's original coverage also reported that the man shot during the dispute had been struck three times and was listed in stable condition at the time. Officers negotiated with Joyce for several hours before he eventually surrendered, MLive reported, and Joyce ultimately exited his house after the standoff, after which police took him into custody.
Jury Verdict
The Wayne County jury found Joyce guilty on all charges related to the nonfatal shooting, the dog's stabbing and the police standoff.
What the Charges Could Mean
Michigan law sets defined penalties for firearm discharges causing physical injury and for second-degree animal cruelty. Under Michigan Compiled Laws Section 750.234b, intentionally discharging a firearm at a dwelling or potentially occupied structure, or discharging a firearm in one in reckless disregard for safety, is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 15 years, a fine of not more than $15,000, or both, when either violation causes physical injury, according to the Michigan Legislature's published text. Second-degree killing or torturing of an animal is classified as a felony under MCL 750.50b and is punishable by up to seven years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, community service of up to 500 hours, or one or more of those penalties.
