Kyle Rittenhouse trial live updates: Rittenhouse's Wednesday testimony includes night of the shooting
We're into the eighth day of the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teenager charged with killing two people and wounding a third during violent protests in Kenosha last year after the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
In addition to counts of intentional, reckless and attempted homicide and reckless endangerment, and curfew violation, Rittenhouse, 18, is charged with possessing a firearm as a minor, a misdemeanor.
More: Jurors are likely to hear from Kyle Rittenhouse in the second week of his homicide trial
Check below for updates as Journal Sentinel reporters and photographers cover the trial. You can also read about what happened on day one, day two, three, four, five, six and seven of the trial.
The trial is expected to continue through the week.
Rittenhouse's Wednesday testimony includes night of the shooting
Kyle Rittenhouse testified Wednesday that Joseph Rosenbaum had his hand on Rittenhouse’s rifle when he fired four times, killing Rosenbaum.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself,” Rittenhouse said.
After a recess Wednesday morning, Rittenhouse detailed the sequence of events from when Rosenbaum began chasing him and when Rittenhouse turned himself in to police in Illinois.
He said Rosenbaum began chasing him when Rittenhouse heard a gunshot, which came from another member in the crowd. He said he turned around and that’s when Rosenbaum put his hand on the rifle.
After the shooting, Rittenhouse said he heard people shouting, “get his a--” and decided to run toward the police line farther north of him on Sheridan Road.
Rittenhouse said a “mob” began chasing him and continued to shout “get him,” “cranium him,” and “kill him.”
As he ran down the street, he said Grosskreutz approached him. Grosskreutz previously testified that he tried asking Rittenhouse if he shot someone and why he was running down the street. Rittenhouse said he didn’t perceive Grosskreutz as a threat and so he did not point his rifle at him.
Then, Anthony Huber struck Rittenhouse in the head with a skateboard, and Rittenhouse said he felt like someone had also struck him with a rock or piece of concrete. He said he felt lightheaded and hit the ground.
People moved in on him, but then backed away when he moved his rifle in their direction. One man ran past him and kicked him in the face. Rittenhouse fired two shots but missed.
Rittenhouse said he tried to get up but was again attacked by Huber and his skateboard. He said he could feel the strap of his rifle being pulled, as if he were being disarmed, so he shot at Huber, killing him.
He then lowered his weapon and saw Grosskreutz again, with his hands raised, a pistol in hand. They were so close their feet were touching. Rittenhouse then said Grosskreutz lowered the gun in Rittenhouse’s direction, so he fired and hit Grosskreutz in the arm.
Rittenhouse then stood up, but his hearing was now impaired and his vision narrowed. He said he could only see the flashing lights of police nearby, so he walked toward them with arms raised. He tried telling an officer in a squad car he shot someone, but the offer did not listen and told him to leave or be pepper-sprayed.
The Kenosha Police Department had been fenced off from the unrest, so Rittenhouse and his friend, Dominick Black, drove to his family’s house in Antioch, Ill. From there, his mother took him to the local police station.
Rittenhouse said he was made to wait in the lobby of the station until Kenosha detectives arrived. He said he was vomiting and having panic attacks.
Rittenhouse’s testimony continued Wednesday with cross-examination from the prosecution.
— Elliot Hughes
A Twitter List by journalsentinel
Rittenhouse becomes emotional on the stand
After about 45 minutes on the witness stand Wednesday, the court is in recess after Kyle Rittenhouse became emotional as he began to explain the sequences of events that led to his shooting of Joseph Rosenbaum.
Prior to that, defense attorney Mark Richards asked Rittenhouse a series of questions about the day leading up to the shootings – Aug. 25, 2020.
Rittenhouse said he worked at a recreational center in Kenosha County at the time and was in the city, where he has family. The next morning, he met up with several of his friends and they went to Kenosha to help clean graffiti.
It was then he met the family who owns the three Car Source lots on Sheridan Road. He said two brothers, Anmol and Sahil Khindri, exchanged contact information with Rittenhouse.
Later that evening, Rittenhouse and two friends returned armed and he said the brothers thanked them for helping protect the business. He said the brothers gave them keys to the business and showed them where to find fire extinguishers.
Rittenhouse’s testimony – and that of his two friends, Nick Smith and Dominick Black – contradicts the testimony of the Khindri brothers, who said last week they never made arrangements for anyone to protect the business properties.
Rittenhouse said he was there to serve as a medic and had supplies with him. He said he has received training as a lifeguard and in cadet programs for fire departments in Illinois.
Rittenhouse said he stationed himself in front of the Car Source property but would occasionally venture out into the street with another man, Ryan Balch, to help protect Car Source and to see if anyone needed help. He said he wrapped up a woman’s ankle after she twisted it and flushed out the eyes of another armed man who was affected by a chemical irritant.
While on the street, Rittenhouse said he and Balch became separated by police. He received a phone call from Black telling him to stop people from damaging cars and setting fires at another Car Source location. Rittenhouse obtained a fire extinguisher from someone on the street and ran toward the business.
When he arrived at the business, he heard someone shout “burn in hell,” so Rittenhouse shouted “friendly, friendly, friendly.” He said he dropped the extinguisher and decided to leave.
Rittenhouse said he looked over his shoulder and saw Rosenbaum and felt “cornered.” Rittenhouse then became emotional and Judge Bruce Schroeder called for a recess.
— Elliot Hughes
Rittenhouse takes stand
Kyle Rittenhouse was called to the witness stand in his own trial Wednesday morning, shortly before 9:45 a.m.
As his testimony was to begin, courtroom cameras captured his mother, Wendy Rittenhouse looking nervous and biting her fingernails.
— Elliot Hughes
Rittenhouse defense team zeros in on Jacob Marshall social media post
Throughout Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial, his defense team has made references to a Facebook post from Gaige Grosskreutz’s friend, which said Grosskreutz regretted not killing Rittenhouse when he had the chance.
That friend, Jacob Marshall, began witness testimony Wednesday and said he completely made up the quote that was attributed to Grosskreutz in the post.
The post read, in part, “(Grosskreutz’s) only regret was not killing the kid.” A photo of the two accompanied the post.
Marshall had been living with Grosskreutz for three months prior to the shooting and visited him in the hospital the day after. He said he and his family were getting doxed, and with his friend in the hospital, he wrote the post out of “pure anger.”
“It was insane with everything going on at the time,” Marshall told defense attorney Corey Chirafisi. “I was trying to stick up for my friend.”
Marshall said he has continued to receive harassment online in the year since.
— Elliot Hughes
Prosecution calls 3 witnesses to the stand
Could this be the day Kyle Rittenhouse takes the witness stand in his own defense?
The prosecution rested at midday Tuesday, and the defense lawyers got in three witnesses of their own in the afternoon.
When court finished for the day, lead defense counsel Mark Richards wouldn’t tell reporters if his client might take the stand Wednesday.
Those with more connections to the defense might have some better information; Clerk of Courts Rebecca Matoska-Mentink told registered news media public inquiry to her office about how to attend the trial Wednesday increased on Tuesday.
So far, in-person public attendance has been sparse, leaving plenty of seats for reporters who don’t win a daily lottery for spots in the designated news media rows.
Prosecutors finished their case strong, with witnesses who in most trials might provide routine, need-it-for-the-record evidence. One was a crime lab technician who introduced a newly enhanced version of drone video that offered the best look yet at Rittenhouse fatally shooting Joseph Rosenbaum.
A Milwaukee County assistant medical examiner explained Rosenbaum’s five wounds and his likely positioning when shot. Dr. Greg Kelley believes a first shot to Rosenbaum’s groin could have made him fall forward. The fatal shot of the four was to Rosenbaum’s back, suggesting he was prone facing Rittenhouse by then.
The defense may call Jeffrey Jentzen for a different interpretation. Jentzen was Milwaukee County Medical Examiner for 21 years, worked on the Jeffrey Dahmer case, and now teaches at the University of Michigan.
Richards asked the judge late Tuesday if one the defense witnesses could testify via Zoom, because of COVID-19 protocols.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kyle Rittenhouse trial live updates: Rittenhouse's testimony includes night of the shooting
