Court process
Teenage boy charged with murder bursts into tears in court
Kyle Rittenhouse bursts into tears in court
© Mark Hertzberg / Picture Alliance
Kyle Rittenhouse is charged with double homicides. Now he burst into tears in the courtroom and protested that he had acted in self-defense. Previously, he pleaded “not guilty”.
At the age of 18, Kyle Rittenhouse is already charged with double homicides. As part of the protests against racial inequality in the city of Kenosha on August 25, 2020, he killed two people and injured another person, according to the indictment. Now Rittenhouse burst into tears during a dramatic testimony in court.
Rittenhouse pleaded “not guilty”
The accused teenager burst into tears during his trial when he described how he was “cornered” by several men and claimed to have acted in self-defense. Rittenhouse pleaded “not guilty” on all charges. The teenager is currently on trial for negligent, willful and attempted homicide. When the teenager lost his composure, negotiations were briefly interrupted.
Two days earlier, riots had started in the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, after the black Jacob Blake was shot by police officers. Numerous shops were set on fire, looted and the police tried to control the crowd. Rittenhouse had then traveled with a semi-automatic rifle from his home in the neighboring state of Illinois. According to his own statements, it had been his intention to protect property from the unrest on the street and to provide first aid.
Teenager claims to have acted in self-defense
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself,” said the 18-year-old. He described to the judges the chaotic conditions that had prevailed on the street. Regarding Joseph Rosenbaum, the first man he killed, Rittenhouse said that the man first attacked him and threatened to kill him. It was only when Rosenbaum put his hand on his rifle that Rittenhouse shot him. Video recordings show that Rosenbaum actually pursued him.
That same evening, the then 17-year-old shot another man – Anthony Huber. He had previously hit him with a skateboard and tried to take his rifle from him, according to Rittenhouse. Gaige Grosskreutz, who was wounded by him, also pointed a pistol at his head before the defendant shot him and injured his arm. Rittenhouse asserted that he had no other choice and only wanted to defend himself.
Sincerity of his tears in question
The case of Kyle Rittenhouse sparked divided reactions on social media. The Kenosha deputy district attorney also questioned the teenagers’ sincerity. He was referring to a Rittenhouse social media post in which he wrote that he was “just trying to get famous”. The prosecutor also referred to photos in which the accused can be seen with people classified as right-wing extremists.
On Tuesday, the public prosecutor laid down their evidence. Rittenhouse is the third witness on the stand, his statements could now be decisive for the verdict.