BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The courtroom was packed and additional Kern County Sheriff Deputies were on standby as Jeremy King, the other defendant in the Jonathan Knight trial, testified Thursday about the evening he and his cousin allegedly shot at a vehicle containing 5-year-old Kason Guyton, killing the toddler.
- King and Knight were both arrested and charged for the car-to-car shooting that killed the child on February 23, 2017.
- Last month, King plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for testifying in this case. King was sentenced to six years and is expected to be released following the trial.
The courtroom was packed and additional Kern County Sheriff Deputies were on standby as Jeremy King, the other defendant in the Jonathan Knight trial, testified Thursday about the evening he and his cousin allegedly shot at a vehicle containing 5-year-old Kason Guyton, killing the toddler.
King and Knight were both arrested and charged for the car-to-car shooting that killed the child on February 23, 2017. Last month, King plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for testifying in this case. King was sentenced to six years and is expected to be released following the trial.
Prosecutor Eric Smith played surveillance video from the Valley Plaza mall and other areas around town and King explained what he says took place that night.
King testified that while he and Knight were at the mall, an altercation took place involving East Side Crips members. He said among those members was Tony Haynes.
After the altercation at the mall, King said he met with his ex-girlfriend Jessica Johnson to borrow money from her. He said at the time they met, he hadn’t planned to ask to use her car, but eventually decided to.
While driving her car, a Chrysler 200, King said he went to pick Knight up because he “knew what had to happen.” King testified that while he wasn’t concerned as much about the altercation at the mall, he believed Knight felt they “got punked”.
King testified that when he picked Knight up, Knight had a gun with him. King recognized the gun as his own.
“I don’t remember what we were talking about but it was about going to do something,” he said.
After picking up Knight, King said they traveled down California towards S Street. King testified they knew the mother of Haynes’ children lived at an apartment complex off of S Street.
King testified that the area of town they were in was considered West Side Crips territory. He said when the were on S Street, Knight said he’d “seen somebody.” King said he took that to mean he saw a member of the East Side Crips.
After driving down S Street and turning around, King said they followed a car shortly before Knight fired at it. King said he believed the driver of the car “had to be somebody worth it” because car-to-car shootings are “a no-no”.
“Because people get hit that aren’t supposed to get hit,” King testified. “It’s street rules.”
King said after the shooting, he dropped Knight off and Knight left the gun in the vehicle. King said he went to meet Johnson again and swap back cars.
Smith asked King if he had any idea who had been shot. King testified that he assumed it was an East Side Crips member but found out later that it was a child.
Smith asked King what his thoughts were after finding out it was Guyton who’d been shot.
“I didn’t know what to think,” King said.
Smith asked if the name Guyton meant anything to King. King said he went to church with Bryan Guyton Sr. Smith asked again how King felt at that time.
“I didn’t know how to feel, what to do,” he said.
Along with attempting to establish what took place the night of the shooting, Smith also questioned King about his and Knight’s involvement in the West Side Crips.
King testified that his nickname was “Baby Mice” while Knight’s nickname was “Lil Mice”, indicating that Knight had a higher status within the gang.
“Is there a way to get a higher status?” Smith asked.
“Doing different stuff, fighting, shooting,” King testified.
On top of a first-degree murder charge, Knight is also charged with two felonies relating to street gang involvement.
Smith asked King about snitching in street gang and the consequences. King testified that snitching can result in being killed. Smith asked if King was afraid of retaliation for testifying. King said he wasn’t so much concerned about retaliation against him as he was concerned for his family, testifying that he’d been told by him mother that threats had been made online.
During cross examination, Defense Attorney Tim Hennessy attempted to establish that King has a history of lying. Hennessy questioned King's previous testimony to a grand jury, his previous relationships, and King’s interactions with Bryan Guyton Sr. following the shooting.
“You lied to him to get out of trouble,” Hennessy said.
“I did,” King said.
Hennessy reiterated that King lied to police and during his testimony to the grand jury. King said he did but he had remorse when lying to those he knows personally.
Hennessy asked King if the oath he took when testifying to the grand jury was the same oath he took before testifying in this trial. King said he believed it was.
“The fact that a 5-year-old is dead didn’t bother you when you lied under oath,” Hennessy said.
“I’m not lying today though,” King responded.
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