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In this Friday, September 17, 2021, file photo, Kyle Rittenhouse appears in court for a motion hearing in Kenosha, Wisconsin (Sean Krajacic / The Kenosha News via AP, File)
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) – An Illinois man who shot three people during a protest against police brutality in Wisconsin last year was justified because the men confronted him and two of between them tried to snatch his weapon, a use of force expert called by the defense testified at a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
Expert John Black spent hours describing the moments leading up to Kyle Rittenhouse’s decision to shoot Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz, offering insight into the defense team’s strategy when the Rittenhouse’s trial will begin next month. Black testified that the video shows Rosenbaum chasing Rittenhouse and grabbing the teenager’s gun, Huber attacking Rittenhouse with a skateboard and trying to get rid of his gun, and Grosskreutz running at him with a pistol in his hand.
“A citizen in this position, given these indicators, would it be reasonable for him to believe that he was about to be attacked? Black said. “I would say yes.”
Rittenhouse was 17 when he made the short trip from his home in Antioch, Ill. To Kenosha on the night of August 25, 2020, in response to a call from a Kenosha militia to help protect businesses Some protestors. The city was plagued by several nights of chaotic protests sparked by a white policeman’s decision to shoot Jacob Blake, a black man, during a domestic disruption. The shooting left Blake paralyzed from waist to toe.
Shortly before midnight, Rittenhouse shot Rosenbaum with an AR-type semi-automatic rifle in the parking lot of a used car dealership, killing him. Moments later, he shot Huber in the street, killing him as well. Seconds after shooting Huber, he shot Grosskreutz, injuring his arm.
Prosecutors charged Rittenhouse with several counts, including manslaughter, attempted homicide and being a minor in possession of a firearm. Rittenhouse’s attorneys say he shot in self-defense. His trial is due to begin on November 1.
Rittenhouse’s senior attorney, Mark Richards, tries to persuade Kenosha County circuit judge Bruce Schroeder to let Black testify at trial. Schroeder allowed Black to speak at the hearing via Zoom in the hopes that it would help him make a decision.
Black testified that he studied spectator video of the three shootings at length. He noted that Rosenbaum was chasing Rittenhouse and threw a plastic bag at him before taking Rittenhouse’s rifle.
“Now the gun is a potential weapon for both parties,” Black said. “Now we have a potential wrestling match. “
A bystander video showed that after Rittenhouse shot Rosenbaum, he ran down the street. At one point he tripped and a man came out of the crowd and kicked him in the face, Black said. Rittenhouse shot this man but missed him.
A moment later, Huber hit Rittenhouse in the neck with a skateboard and attempted to grab Rittenhouse’s rifle, prompting Rittenhouse to shoot him, Black said. Grosskreutz approached with his hands up in a “I surrender” motion, but he had a handgun in his right hand. He stepped back before stepping forward and lowering the pistol. Rittenhouse then shot him in the arm.
Black said Rittenhouse maintained control of his rifle throughout and didn’t just spray the crowd with random bullets.
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger has argued that Black is an expert in the use of force by police, not civilians. He also asked whether Rittenhouse would have been justified in using lethal force had he not had a gun.
Black replied that he had taught civilian self-defense courses and that Binger presented a hypothetical situation. But if Rittenhouse hadn’t been armed with a gun, he might not have been justified in using deadly force, Black said.
Schroeder did not decide whether Black could testify at trial until he heard testimony from a prosecution expert on the use of force. He has scheduled a hearing on October 25 for this testimony.
The judge began the hearing by denying a defense request to drop the gun possession charge against Rittenhouse. Wisconsin law prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from arming themselves, but lawyers for Rittenhouse argued that the laws actually prohibit minors from carrying short-barreled shotguns and shotguns. The only other prohibitions on minors owning firearms are in the hunting laws, and all they say is that children under the age of 12 cannot hunt with firearms. , they said.
Schroeder said he could revisit the matter later, calling the statutes unclear.
He also rejected the prosecution’s request to ban the media from broadcasting or publishing images of the faces of witnesses during the trial. The prosecutor told the judge that some witnesses fear for their safety as this is a high-profile and contested case.
Richards said he didn’t know which witnesses Binger was referring to, but he pointed out that a prosecution witness bragged on his social media accounts that he was subpoenaed in the case.
Schroeder said he was not sure he had the power to censor the media. He added that he has presided over other cases which he described as more “tense” than the Rittenhouse proceedings.
Many Tories have flocked to support Rittenhouse, calling him a patriot for seeking to stop violent protests, making him a symbol of gun rights and raising $ 2 million for his bail. Others, including liberals and activists, present him as a national terrorist and say he has made a volatile situation worse by bringing a gun to the streets of Kenosha.
The prosecution and defense asked Schroder for permission to send questionnaires to potential jurors to detect bias, but Schroeder rejected the requests last month, saying he feared most people would not fill them out and that the recipients discuss the matter with their family and friends. and form opinions.
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