Kyle Rittenhouse acquitted of all charges

Multiple injuries as SUV speeds into Wisconsin Xmas parade

Multiple injuries as SUV speeds into Wisconsin Xmas parade.

Kyle Rittenhouse acquitted of all charges

Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who in August 2020 shot and killed two men with an assault rifle in the US city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, has today, Friday, November 19 been acquitted of all the charges against him. Ritterhouse had pleaded not guilty, claiming he acted in self defence.

The verdict came after a three-week trial, and a three-and-a-half-day wait while the jury of 18 people deliberated. When the jury handed their verdict, Judge Bruce Schroeder told the court, “The charges against the defendant on all counts are dismissed with prejudice, and he’s released from the obligation of his bond”.

Rittenhouse had been just 17 years of age at the time of the incident and had been charged with two counts of homicide, attempted homicide, and other felony charges. Armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle, he killed  26-year-old Anthony Huber, and Joseph Rosenbaum, aged 36. Another person, 27-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz was also wounded by the gunfire.

The incident occurred after the shooting of Jacob Blake, aged 29, by police officers. Violent demonstrations had ensued for two days in Kenosha, as the police tried to control the crowds, even firing rubber bullets and tear gas. Among them, armed men wearing military-style combat outfits could be seen, observed pointing their weapons at hostile demonstrators.

It was into this scenario that the teenager finally entered, carrying his weapon. Prosecutors had tried to depict him as some kind of vigilante figure who wanted to put his weapon to good use.

Admitting that it was possibly true that the two men had confronted the teenager, prosecutors questioned his killing them, and that he maybe initiated the problem by raising his weapon to them. “I did what I had to do to stop the person who was attacking me”, was Rittenhouse’s answer.

“By killing them?” Attorney Thomas Binger asked, to which Rittenhouse replied, “Two of them passed away but I stopped the threat from attacking me”. To this, Binger enquired, “By using deadly force?”.

The defendant responded, “I used deadly force. I didn’t know if it was going to kill them. But I used deadly force to stop the threat that was attacking me. I didn’t notice Mr Rosenbaum until he came out from behind the car and ambushed me”, he added.

In his defence, Rittenhouse’s team portrayed the teenager as wanting to protect local businesses, including a used-car dealership, from any possible looting. They pointed out that he had been carrying a first-aid kit with him, as well as the weapon.

This high-profile case has divided the public in America. Those on the left see him as a result of gun culture gone wrong, while conservatives who advocate gun rights have hailed him as a hero, saying his actions were justified given the circumstances, as reported by themirror.co.uk.

___________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading, and don’t forget to check The Euro Weekly News for all your up-to-date local and international news stories, and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram

Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

Comments


    • Naomi Andrews

      19 November 2021 • 23:38

      Thank you for not putting some negative Lefty spin on this. A great victory for American freedoms and justice. This story exposes the delusional Liberal paradigm.

    • Naomi Andrews

      19 November 2021 • 23:38

      Thank you for not putting some negative Lefty spin on this. A great victory for American freedoms and justice. This story exposes the delusional Liberal paradigm.

    • CCW60

      20 November 2021 • 15:07

      There is a misnomer about guns in America. It is not possible to buy an assault rifle unless you buy it on the black market ILLEGALLY. Kyle Rittenhouse was NOT carrying an assault rifle. He was carrying a regular LEGAL rifle that is called an AR 15. AR stands for “ArmaLite Rifle” https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/the-truth-about-ar-15-rifles/ Kyle was within his right to self defense and unedited photos and videos showed clearly that those he shot were attacking him with skateboards over the head, kicking him in the head/face while he was on the ground, and pointing a pistol/gun to his head threatening to kill him. He was there to help clean graffiti off the school buildings when the riots broke out and he went to help stop the burning of buildings. He attempted to stop the fires the rioters had started…buildings with people in them. When they saw him with a fire extinguisher putting out their fires they chased him down and attacked him. They would have killed him had he not fought back. He should have never been on trial for this in the first place but the majority of thinking people in the U.S. applaud the judge and jury for doing the right thing and acquitting him.

    • CCW60

      20 November 2021 • 15:07

      There is a misnomer about guns in America. It is not possible to buy an assault rifle unless you buy it on the black market ILLEGALLY. Kyle Rittenhouse was NOT carrying an assault rifle. He was carrying a regular LEGAL rifle that is called an AR 15. AR stands for “ArmaLite Rifle” https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/the-truth-about-ar-15-rifles/ Kyle was within his right to self defense and unedited photos and videos showed clearly that those he shot were attacking him with skateboards over the head, kicking him in the head/face while he was on the ground, and pointing a pistol/gun to his head threatening to kill him. He was there to help clean graffiti off the school buildings when the riots broke out and he went to help stop the burning of buildings. He attempted to stop the fires the rioters had started…buildings with people in them. When they saw him with a fire extinguisher putting out their fires they chased him down and attacked him. They would have killed him had he not fought back. He should have never been on trial for this in the first place but the majority of thinking people in the U.S. applaud the judge and jury for doing the right thing and acquitting him.

    Comments are closed.