Rittenhouse broke down in tears, nearly collapsing as a court clerk announced the jury had found him not guilty of all charges.It is no surprise that many feel dismay over the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse and see the verdict as resulting from the American tolerance of gun culture a nearly all-white jury favoring a white defendant a baby-faced teen who did not match a stereotype of a ‘gun-toting’ marauder and a reaction against the purported violence of racial justice protests.īut those views impose social concerns on what is ultimately a trial, a process where a jury must confront two competing narratives. He had faced five counts, including charges of first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree intentional homicide, and attempted first-degree attempted homicide. He faced up to life in prison had he been convicted.įox News' Tucker Carlson tweeted Rittenhouse's comment as he rode in the passenger seat of a car following the verdict. Self-defense is not illegal, and I believe they came to the correct verdict – and I'm glad that everything went well," Rittenhouse said in the video tweeted by Carlson. "It's been a rough journey, but we made it through it. There was no question Rittenhouse shot anyone, and the trial boiled down to whether he was legitimately acting in self-defense. He had been charged in connection with the shootings of three people in August 2020 during protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz during the widespread civil unrest in Kenosha after Blake was shot by police. Huber's fiancée stood praying in the doorway of the courtroom as she and other relatives of the men Rittenhouse shot waited to hear the verdict. "The jury, representing our community, has rendered its verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse case," said lead prosecutor Thomas Binger. "While we are disappointed with the verdict, it must be respected. We are grateful to the members of the jury for their diligent and thoughtful deliberations. The Kenosha community has endured much over the past 15 months, and yet we remain resilient and strong. We ask that members of our community continue to express their opinions and feelings about this verdict in a civil and peaceful manner." Meantime, a relatively small crowd that had gathered outside the courthouse at the beginning of the day gradually grew as word of the verdict spread, and dozens of people were gathered on the courthouse steps in the afternoon. Protests continued into the night, but there were only a couple of minor dust-ups. Some supporters of Rittenhouse chanted "Second Amendment" after he was acquitted, while supporters of the men he shot lamented the not guilty verdict. Things have remained calm in Kenosha throughout the trial and also remained so afterward, but Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers had called up the state's National Guard in preparation for the verdict. The not-guilty verdict came after approximately 26 hours of deliberations over four days. Rittenhouse's attorneys discussed the verdict later Friday at their offices in Racine. He has a huge sense of relief for what the jury did to him today. He wishes none of this would have ever happened, but as he said when he testified, he did not start this, and we're thankful in more ways than one that the jury finally got to hear the true story," Richards said. Richards also suggested Rittenhouse and his family likely would move away from Wisconsin now that the trial is over, saying he believes it's too dangerous for them to stay in the area given the case has become a major focus of the debate over guns, self-defense, and racial injustice across the country. "He has to get on with his life the best he can. I think eventually some anonymity will come back to it. "To me, it's scary how many death threats we've had." I don't think he'll continue to life in this area. Prosecutors did not speak to the media after the verdict. Meanwhile, as Rittenhouse enjoyed his first full night of freedom Friday night, those who helped get him there were at peace with the verdict. "The jury made the right decision," said Lucas Zanin, who testified for Rittenhouse's defense.Īs CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported, Zanin was just feet away recording cell phone video the night Rittenhouse shot the three men. "I'm relieved it was clear self-defense," Zanin said.
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