MUSKEGON, MI – Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson has ruled that a Moorland Township homeowner's fatal shooting last April of an acquaintance trying to force his way into the home was justified.

"The death of Jamie Fialek was the result of the use of deadly force in self-defense, defense of others and under the 'castle doctrine,'" the prosecutor wrote in a dispositional report released Friday, Jan. 23.

"Specifically, the homeowner had a reasonable and honest belief that he and/or his family were in immediate danger of great bodily harm," the report said. "Additionally, the homeowner was acting in lawful defense of his home, his wife and his children from an intruder."

The conclusion, which agrees with the Muskegon County Sheriff's Office decision not to seek charges, comes after nearly nine months of investigation and consideration of the facts and the law in the case.

Fialek, 40, of the Ravenna area died after 11 p.m. April 25, 2014, after the homeowner fired multiple shots in his midsection.

The report does not identify the homeowner or other witnesses.

According to the 13-page report, the investigation showed that Fialek was angry, jealous and drunk when he reportedly tried to push his way into the homeowner's home.

Witnesses told investigators that Fialek, who had known the homeowner for many years, believed the homeowner had been having an affair with Fialek's longtime girlfriend.

Fialek and the homeowner had had a physical fight in a bar bathroom about two weeks before the shooting, and Fialek had made threats to the homeowner and his family after that, according to the homeowner.

According to the report, Fialek had a history of violence toward others, especially when intoxicated, and his blood alcohol level was more than 0.13 percent when he died. The legal limit for driving is 0.08. He had multiple criminal convictions, including resisting and obstructing a police officer and felon in possession of a firearm, according to the report. The homeowner has no criminal record.

According to the homeowner's account, Fialek unexpectedly began pounding on his door that night. The homeowner's wife and children were in the house, and his wife, who was in the kitchen with their daughter, corroborated that they heard repeated pounding on the door.

The homeowner, who went to the door carrying a handgun, said he answered the door and Fialek said they needed to talk and that he was going to "f--- him up."

The homeowner said Fialek put his foot inside the threshold and pushed the door open wider with his arm as the homeowner opened the door. The homeowner pushed him back out, and Fialek "charged at him," the homeowner said.

The homeowner – a former military police officer – then fired into the center area of Fialek's body multiple times, emptying his gun of bullets. The exact number of shots fired wasn't stated, but prosecutors say the number was at least six.

The autopsy showed no evidence that Fialek was shot in the back, while he was lying on the ground or after he lost consciousness, according to the report. "The forensic evidence is consistent with the homeowner's version that he unloaded the gun by rapidly shooting it until it stopped firing," the report said. There was no evidence the gun was reloaded and fired again.

John S. Hausman covers courts, prisons, the environment and local government for MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. Email him at jhausman@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter.