BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Isaiah Ratcliff, 34, was found not guilty of attempted murder but convicted of assault with a deadly weapon after a jury determined he acted in self-defense during a violent altercation. He now faces up to four years in prison.
The incident occurred on August 19, when police responded to an apartment on 20th Street and found a man with serious stab wounds — two to his shoulder and one to the back of his neck. Officers also found a bent knife at the scene. Ratcliff was arrested shortly after.
According to the Kern County Public Defender’s Office, tensions erupted when the victim, an uninvited guest whose utilities had been shut off, refused to leave Ratcliff’s apartment.
An argument escalated into a physical fight when the guest allegedly choked Ratcliff and pinned him against a balcony railing. In self-defense, Ratcliff used a kitchen knife to stab the person, his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kate Lee, explained during the trial.
“The jury understood the context and circumstances of the case,” the Public Defender’s Office stated. “While emotions ran high during the conflict, it did not amount to attempted murder.”
A sentencing date for Ratcliff has not yet been set.