Following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a White police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August 2020, Kenosha erupted into protests calling for justice and the protection of Black lives across America.
During these protests, Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old who claims he came to Kenosha to protect private businesses and provide medical help, shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony M. Huber, and injured Gaige Grosskreutz with an AR-15 style rifle.
The following are actions of the victims including Rosenbaum following Rittenhouse and throwing a plastic bag at him, Huber attempting to hit Rittenhouse with a skateboard, and Grosskreutz approaching Rittenhouse while armed with a pistol.
The Kenosha Unrest Shootings, as this event would go on to be called, sparked countless issues regarding the Second Amendment, the presence of armed militia men at protests, the unrest surrounding violence against Black people, and furthered growing divides between the Republican and Democratic parties.
Now, over a year after the shooting occurred, 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse is on trial for first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, reckless endangering, and illegal possession of a weapon by a person under 18.
The trial began on November 2nd, 2021, and today, the second week of litigation concluded. Here are the biggest takeaways from the trial so far:
-Kyle Rittenhouse has pleaded not guilty to all charges
– Rittenhouse was called to the stand where he told the jury he was acting in self-defense when he killed Rosenbaum and Huber and injured Grosskreutz. While he was on the stand, he broke down crying as he described the circumstances of the shooting.
-Conflicts between the prosecution and Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder has caused Rittenhouse’s lawyers to ask for a mistrial over out-of-bounds questions asked by the prosecution.
-Prosecutors have said that they will ask Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder to allow jury members to consider lesser charges for some of the counts Rittenhouse is being tried for.
-Legal precedent for future court trials cannot be set by this trial as precedent is set in appeals courts, where this trial is not occurring.
-The prosecution has been focusing on why it is that Rittenhouse brought an AR-15 to the protests; he states it was for protection.
-Grosskreutz testified that he had aimed a gun at Rittenhouse prior to being shot and injured.
Ultimately, this trial is still occurring, and the resulting ruling can go many ways. As the prosecution and defense wrap up their closing arguments, viewers across America can only hope that justice is served in a nonpartisan way which seeks to uphold the law.
References:
Bellware, K. (2021, November 10). What to know about the contentious trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. Retrieved from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/11/10/rittenhouse-trial-faq/
Biggest Moments From Kyle Rittenhouse Trial as Jury Prepares for Deliberations. (2021, November 12). Retrieved from NBC Chicago : https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/biggest-moments-from-kyle-rittenhouse-trial-as-jury-prepares-for-deliberations/2683376/
Bogel-Burroughs, N. (2021, November 12). Key Moments From Kyle Rittenhouse’s Testimony . Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/11/10/us/kyle-rittenhouse-trial-testimony?auth=login-google
Evans, B. (2021, November 11). Kyle Rittenhouse on trial: Everything you need to know. Retrieved from WISN 12 News: https://www.wisn.com/article/kyle-rittenhouse-trial-everything-you-need-to-know/38116095#
Tarm, M., Bauer, S., & Webber, T. (2021, November 12). Defense rests its case at murder trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. Retrieved from Associated Press News: https://apnews.com/article/kyle-rittenhouse-racial-injustice-wisconsin-kenosha-homicide-366414bc0115b44f5b62a1c034251006