A former Mountain View Councilmember convicted last month of shooting a teenager in the face has been sentenced to probation.

Brent John Metz, 40, was found guilty on June 1 of third-degree assault and illegal discharge of a firearm and was acquitted of a charge of menacing after a five-day trial. Metz shot a teen in the face on Sept. 10, 2024, after the teen and a friend hopped a fence on his property near Conifer in an attempt to ask for permission to take homecoming photos on the land.

On Tuesday, 1st Judicial District Judge Russell Klein handed Metz a sentence of four years of probation. The sentence also included 90 days of work release and 120 hours of public service and also bars Metz from owning or possessing firearms, according to a news release from the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s office.

Metz faced up to three years in prison. Officials said due to the felony conviction, he was taken into custody and has remained there since the verdict. He will now be processed for work release.

Prosecutors asked for a prison sentence, while the family of the teen who was shot said Metz never apologized or showed remorse for the shooting, which he claimed was accidental, according to the release.

“As families who support responsible gun ownership, we believe in the rights that come with that responsibility; but people like Mr. Metz — reckless, careless, and unwilling to admit fault — are the reason responsible gun owners face scrutiny,” the mother of one of the teens told the court.

Metz’s attorneys asked for a one-year probation sentence, while Metz also addressed the court and apologized to the victims.

District Attorney Alexis King said in the release that Metz was reckless and negligent on the day of the shooting.

“We appreciate the court weighing all the factors, including how to account for someone who has never been involved in the system and we further share the Court’s concern that no good reason was ever offered for why Mr. Metz unholstered his firearm that day,” King said. “Ultimately, he was found to be negligent and reckless and he has caused a lifetime of trauma for those who suffered from his poor decision-making.”

On the day of the shooting, two teens, aged 15 and 17, were driving around Jefferson County looking for an idyllic place to take homecoming photos when they came upon Metz’s property. The teens, now 17 and 19, testified during the trial that they looked for a camera or intercom at the property’s gate and when they didn’t find one, hopped the fence and walked up to the house to knock on the door and try to ask permission to take photos.

When they didn’t get a response, the teens walked back to their car and started writing a note when Metz arrived in a pickup truck after his girlfriend called him and police to report trespassers on the property. Metz then got out of his truck and drew his firearm, which went off and struck one of the teens in the face.

Metz and his lawyers argued during the trial that the shooting was accidental and happened when Metz stumbled as he was getting out of his truck. Metz’s lawyers said his finger was never on the trigger of the pistol, a Sig Sauer P320, which they also argued is prone to accidental discharges.

Prosecutors, however, argued Metz was reckless when he tried to confront the teens and said 911 operators told Metz’s girlfriend to wait for police and not to try and confront the teens.