Former "Power Rangers" star Ricardo Medina Jr. was released from jail today after the district attorney's office declined to charge him in the stabbing death of Joshua Sutter on Saturday.
However, the DA has asked the Los Angeles Country Sheriff's Department to continue investigating the incident, according to ABC7.
“I’m very, very, very sorry for what occurred,” the 36-year-old actor said after being released, according to KTLA. “I’m very happy to be out of jail, and my heart goes out to the Sutter family.”
On Saturday, Medina and Sutter, also 36, were allegedly arguing at their Palmdale, Calif., home, the sheriff's department said at the time.
The fight got physical. Then, when Medina went into his room with his girlfriend, Sutter forced his way in, the department said. Medina allegedly grabbed a sword he had by the door and stabbed Sutter through the abdomen, police said.
He then called 911, waited for police to arrive and was arrested.
Friends say Medina was trying to protect himself.
"It absolutely was self-defense," Frank Sheftel told ABC7. "It's definitely somebody that was coming after him and he did what he had to do."
Sutter had been described by police as Medina's roommate. However, Medina's attorney said Sutter was a friend of the actor and not a roommate, according to KTLA.
"There simply aren't facts here for a crime. It is a self-defense case," said attorney Allen Bell, according to ABC7. "It's been a self-defense case. You have an individual here that was the victim of a beating in the kitchen area before he went to the bedroom and closed and locked the door in order to secure himself from any continuing violence."
Medina is best known for two roles in the "Power Rangers" series. He was Cole Evans/Red Lion Wild Force Ranger in "Power Rangers Wild Force" in 2002 and portrayed Dekker in "Power Rangers Samurai" in 2011-2012. His IMDb page also lists minor roles in "ER" and "CSI: Miami."
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