Defendant in K Street shooting case says he acted in self-defense after mistrial
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
One of the defendants in the K Street shooting case is speaking publicly after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the most serious charges, resulting in a mistrial.
Mtula Payton, speaking in a jailhouse interview with KCRA 3 on Thursday night, said he acted in self-defense during the April 3, 2022, shooting in downtown Sacramento that left six people dead and several others injured.
“Because I reacted… I didn’t act. I wasn’t out there intentionally trying to harm people,” Payton said.
A jury on Tuesday failed to reach a unanimous decision on whether Payton and the other defendant, Dandrae Martin, were guilty of murder in what remains Sacramento’s deadliest shooting.
“There’s two sides to this whole situation. There’s two sides to every story,” Payton said in the interview.
Payton maintained that he did not go downtown intending to hurt anyone.
He told KCRA 3 that being accused of murder has been difficult.
“It’s not a good feeling when, for a fact evidently, you didn’t kill anybody, and they’re saying you’re a murderer,” Payton said.
Payton said he fired his weapon in self-defense during what he described as a chaotic altercation. At the same time, he acknowledged illegally possessing a firearm as a felon.
“I’m not going to say, ‘Oh, I’m a victim.’ I’m just an ex-felon in possession of a firearm. And I discharged my firearm,” he said.
While admitting his role in the gun charge, Payton denied playing a role in any altercation that may have led to the shooting. He also expressed sorrow over the loss of life.
“I feel bad. I feel hurt. But there’s nothing that anyone can possibly say or do to bring them back,” Payton said.
His attorney, Reid Kingsbury, said he believes that is why jurors could not convict Payton of murder.
“I think that my client did not harbor malice. I argued that. I believe it,” Kingsbury said.
Kingsbury also said some jurors appeared persuaded by the self-defense argument.
“I think that the six jurors who found that he acted in self-defense, I think they used their conscience to arrive at that conclusion,” he said.
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said it will decide its next steps, which could include retrying the case.
Payton said the uncertainty has weighed on him.
“It’s a lot of what-ifs. There’s a lot of possibilities in my head and, you know, a lot of scenarios out there that can play out,” he said. “Like I said, God is good. I didn’t murder those people.”
Payton has remained in jail since his arrest in 2022.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel.