It was one of the most widely watched criminal trials in the United States in recent times, and it ended on Friday with a verdict that was surprising in its clarity: 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who killed two people with a semi-automatic firearm last year during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin killed and injured one was acquitted on all charges. Rittenhouse took the verdict visibly emotionally, he trembled, his lawyers supported him.
After the two weeks of taking evidence, the jury deliberated for a total of 26 hours over four days. It is rare in the USA for a jury to sit for such a long time. At the center of the process was the question of whether Rittenhouse feared for his life that night of August 25, 2020 and fired his weapon in self-defense.
The question of what can be considered self-defense differs from state to state in the United States. Wisconsin allows deadly force to be used if you think your life is in danger or there is a risk of serious physical harm from third parties. Wisconsin also allows you to openly carry firearms.
In August last year, protests broke out in Kenosha on several days after a white police officer shot at the unarmed African-American Jacob Blake, injuring him so badly that he was paralyzed from the waist down. The mood in the country was already heated because a few months earlier in Minneapolis another white policeman had killed the African-American George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes.
Armed citizens protected businesses
The protests in Kenosha were initially peaceful, but then turned into violence. Shops were looted and set on fire. The local police were overwhelmed, which led to more and more armed citizens standing in front of the shops to protect them.
Rittenhouse lives with his mother in neighboring Illinois, but his father lives in Kenosha. He decided, as he said in court, to help protect the city and also care for the injured. With a first aid kit and a semi-automatic rifle, he reached downtown.
The situation was tense, and the various groups fought arguments. How the shots came about is well documented because there are a lot of cell phone recordings and, above all, footage that was recorded with a drone. The drone recordings were initially not available to either the prosecution or the defense; they were only shown for the first time on the fifth day of the trial.
You can see, among other things, that a demonstrator wanted to disarm the then 17-year-old Rittenhouse. This shot four times and killed the man. He was then followed by other demonstrators. Rittenhouse stumbled and fell on the run. When one of the demonstrators reached him, he shot again and hit his victim in the chest. This shot was also fatal.
New discussions about gun laws
A third man approached with a pistol which he aimed first in the air and then at Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse met this man on the arm. When a police car approached, he tried to surrender, but the police ignored him and took care of the victims first.
The case has sparked another discussion in the United States about widespread gun ownership. How it could be that a 17-year-old was walking through the city with a semi-automatic weapon was asked. The legal situation is such that Rittenhouse was not allowed to acquire the weapon himself, but was allowed to own it. A friend bought them for him.
It was inevitable that the case would become politicized. For his supporters, Rittenhouse is a brave young man who wanted to help. The gun lobby stood up for him and raised money for his defense. A Republican MP from Washington said he was considering offering Rittenhouse an internship in his congressional office.
For other commentators, however, Rittenhouse is a dangerous young man who has taken the law into his own hands. Had he been there without a weapon, they argue, the situation would never have escalated in that way. In this respect, he is to blame for the deaths of his two victims.
500 soldiers on standby
A few dozen demonstrators had gathered in front of the court on Friday, demanding roughly equal parts for an acquittal and a conviction. Tony Evers, the governor of Wisconsin, had 500 National Guard soldiers on standby as a precaution in the event of a riot. However, it remained calm at first.
The extent to which the US is concerned with the case can also be seen in the fact that President Joe Biden made a statement later on Friday. “While the Kenosha ruling leaves many Americans angry and concerned, including me, we have to accept that the jury has spoken,” he said. “I call on everyone to express their views peacefully, in accordance with the law spoke to the governor and offered support and any help to ensure public safety. “
Rittenhouse was charged on five counts, including murder, attempted murder, and public harm. A guilty verdict was expected on at least the last point. The jury found him not guilty on all five counts, which means Kyle Rittenhouse left the court a free man.