A Renton man was found not guilty after his trial for second-degree murder following a September 2024 stabbing death in Renton.

On Dec. 19, a jury acquitted K’Shawn Jimerson, 21, of Renton, of second-degree murder. This followed about two days of jury deliberations after the arguments concluded on the morning of Dec. 17.

Jimerson’s charge stemmed from a Sept. 27, 2024, case where, according to charging documents, Jimerson was accused of hitting a man named Michael Gray with a stick, and after he ran into his home, Gray followed him, resulting in Jimerson stabbing him. According to Jimerson’s attorney, Bracken McKey, that is why he believes that he won the case, because in Washington state, when someone retreats into their home, they are allowed to defend themself.

McKey said after Gray was attacked, it was his duty to call the police. He said that if Jimerson were charged with second-degree assault instead, it would be a different conversation.

“At the time that he drops that weapon and turns his back and runs back inside his own house, at that point Michael Gray does not get to mete out his own sense of justice,” McKey said. “He needs to call the police, and if he had done so, we would be having a very different conversation. But at the point he decided to take matters into his own hands, K’Shawn has the same right that the rest of us have to defend ourselves.”

McKey said he thinks that the law makes sense, because if not, as soon as he decided to retreat into his home, Jimerson would have had to suffer the consequences of whatever Gray decided to do, and Jimerson would not have been able to defend himself.

McKey stated that, at the time the jury announced its verdict, Jimerson experienced profound relief and gratitude, and that Jimerson hugged him after the jury left the courtroom. McKey said that Jimerson now plans to attend college and pursue a degree in bioengineering. McKey stated that Jimerson had no prior contact with law enforcement as a juvenile or an adult, and he expects Jimerson to have no further contact.

“He’s going to sleep better tonight than he has slept at any point since Sept. 27, 2024,” McKey said.

According to King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Casey McNerthney, prosecutors presented information from police investigators in the strongest possible case.

“The jury has made their decision, and we accept the jury’s verdict,” McNerthney stated.

Closing statements

Prosecutor Logan Bryant stated that the day Gray died, he, along with Jimerson were cleaning the home of Jimerson’s aunt, where Jimerson was living at the time. Bryant stated that Jimerson and Gray engaged in a verbal argument approximately 10 minutes before Jimerson attacked Gray.

Bryant stated that Jimerson testified that he asked Gray to leave multiple times after a first physical confrontation, and Gray then began to leave. Bryant stated that Gray was leaving as requested, but Jimerson “sneak attacked” Gray while Gray was walking away from the home and had his back to Jimerson.

Bryant stated that the law provides that if a jury finds, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant was the aggressor and that the defendant provoked or commenced the fight, self-defense is not available as a defense.

The defense, headed by McKey, stated that it was true that Jimerson hit Gray with a stick, and if Jimerson were charged with second-degree assault, the jury would probably find him guilty of that. However, McKey stated that after Jimerson attacked Gray, he withdrew from the situation, and at that point, Gray should have left the home or called 911 to report an assault.

McKey stated that after Jimerson went back into his home, Gray then choked him. It was at that point that Jimerson stabbed Gray twice in the back. McKey argued that Jimerson was legally allowed to do that because there was a revival of self-defense after Jimerson withdrew from his attack against Gray, and Gray then unlawfully entered Jimerson’s home after he was told to leave. McKey said that when Gray entered Jimerson’s home, he committed burglary, and Jimerson had the authority to use deadly force.

In the state’s rebuttal, Bryant stated that, objectively under the law, Jimerson did not have the right of self-defense and is guilty. Bryant stated that a burglary did not occur, mentioning that when Jimerson called 911, he did not report a burglary, but he stated that he got into an argument and stabbed someone.

Bryant stated that Jimerson said that Gray was on top of him, choking him, when he stabbed him, but evidence showed Jimerson used his right hand to hold the knife and stab Gray on the right side of Gray’s body. Bryant stated it would be impossible for Jimerson to reach around and stab him, and instead, when Gray entered Jimerson’s home, he tripped or fell on the ground, and Jimerson then stabbed Gray in the back while Gray was on the ground. Gray said stabbing someone who is lying on the ground is not self-defense.

Jimerson with his attorney. Courtesy photo.