“We’re thankful in more ways than one that the jury finally got to hear the true story.”Ĭivil unrest erupted in Kenosha on Aug. “He wishes none of this would have ever happened but as he said … he did not start this,” Rittenhouse’s attorney Mark Richards told reporters shortly after the verdict. The defense maintained that the then-17-year-old wanted to defend businesses and people from rioters and only fired his weapon because he had an imminent fear for his life. The prosecution sought to portray Rittenhouse as a vigilante and instigator who came to the city armed in anticipation of and seeking violence. The highly anticipated verdict came after about 26 hours of deliberation following a two-week trial that focused on a single question: Was Rittenhouse acting in self-defense when he fatally shot two people and wounded another during civil unrest? Throughout the trial, right-wing figures like the McCloskeys, who were charged for unlawful use of a weapon after they were filmed pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters in Missouri, backed Rittenhouse and took photos with supporters outside the courthouse. Earlier in the trial, the judge dismissed a curfew violation charge against Rittenhouse, ruling that the state had not presented sufficient evidence.Īlmost immediately after his arrest, Rittenhouse was lionized in some right-wing circles where vigilantes were celebrated for pushing back against the racial justice protests that spread across the country during the summer of 2020. The jury acquitted Rittenhouse of first-degree reckless homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon, first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon (Wisconsin’s murder count), attempted first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon, and two counts of recklessly endangering safety with the use of a dangerous weapon.Īlthough Rittenhouse initially faced seven charges, the judge on Monday dismissed a misdemeanor charge of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18 after the defense successfully argued that a technicality concerning the length of a gun used by a minor in Wisconsin’s statute cleared him. At one point, he sent jurors to lunch and said that he hoped the “Asian food isn’t coming, isn’t on one of those boats from Long Beach Harbor.KENOSHA, Wisconsin - Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty of all charges against him on Friday after he testified he was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot two people, wounded one, and attempted to shoot two others during a protest against police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020. The judge in the case, Bruce Schroeder, drew attention during the trial for moments when he lashed out as prosecutors but also for some of his asides. Mark Richards, the defendant’s lead attorney, told jurors in closing arguments, “Every person who was shot was attacking Kyle: one with a skateboard, one with his hands, one with his feet, one with a gun.” Huber, meanwhile, was on video striking Rittenhouse on a skateboard. Rittenhouse’s lawyers argued that he acted in self-defense, as Rosenbaum chased after him. Rittenhouse shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, now 28. Judge In Kyle Rittenhouse Trial Bans MSNBC From Courthouse After Incident Network Says Freelancer Never Contacted Or Photographed Jurors Rittenhouse was 17 when he traveled to Kenosha from his Illinois home to, as he said, protect property owners over the protests of the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict: Hollywood Reacts To Acquittal With Outrage But Not Surprise
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