Defendant Guilty of 2023 Homicide on ‘The Block’

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A Baltimore City Circuit Court jury found a 30-year-old defendant guilty of multiple charges for the killing of a 29-year-old man despite his claims of self-defense.

Kwante Betters was found guilty on Sept. 26 of second-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime and firearm possession with a felony conviction for the killing of Stephon Stinnett on the 400 block of East Baltimore Street on Sept. 3, 2023. The downtown area with its adult entertainment venues is known as, “The Block.”

During the trial before Judge Yolanda A. Tanner, the prosecutor presented surveillance footage from the night of the incident, showing the defendant pulling out a handgun and firing a single shot that killed Stinnett. The prosecutor claimed that the shooting was intentional and that Betters had several opportunities to walk away before the shooting.

Defense Attorney Michael Tomko claimed the shooting was a case of self-defense, saying that Stinnet was armed with a sharp object and that the defendant swung the gun in defense, and it accidentally discharged.

Betters’ sentencing date has not been scheduled.