Kyle Rittenhouse's Lawyer Will Argue Self-Defense

U.S.|Kyle Rittenhouse protected himself from radical who ‘attacked him successful the thoroughfare similar an animal,’ his lawyer says.

• Nov. 2, 2021, 2:34 p.m. ET

Kyle Rittenhouse, an Illinois resident, arrived successful Kenosha, Wis., successful August 2020 arsenic a teen with guiltless motives, his lawyer told jurors successful an opening statement.

Mr. Rittenhouse had ties to the community, household and friends who lived successful Kenosha, a occupation arsenic a lifeguard astatine the RecPlex successful Pleasant Prairie, conscionable extracurricular town. When helium came downtown connected the 3rd time of protests aft the constabulary shooting of Jacob Blake, Mr. Rittenhouse was determination to cleanable graffiti and assistance support the metropolis from much destruction, his lawyer said.

And erstwhile Mr. Rittenhouse walked Sheridan Road successful Kenosha with his firearm successful the late-evening hours of Aug. 25, 2020, helium was pursued by Joseph Rosenbaum, the archetypal antheral helium shot, and a bid of different attackers who were determined to injure him, instrumentality his firearm and perchance termination him, said the lawyer, Mark Richards.

“Kyle Rittenhouse protected himself,” Mr. Richards said. “Protected his firearm truthful it couldn’t beryllium taken and utilized against him oregon different radical who Mr. Rosenbaum had made threats to kill. The different individuals who didn’t spot that shooting attacked him successful the thoroughfare similar an animal.”

The lawsuit earlier the assemblage is astir self-defense, Mr. Richards said, describing a country of lawlessness that ruled successful Kenosha that night, and a bid of shootings that happened truthful rapidly that Mr. Rittenhouse had to marque lightning-fast decisions connected erstwhile to propulsion the trigger.

Mr. Richards acknowledged the prosecutor’s statement that Mr. Rittenhouse’s actions look little tenable if jurors see that helium was the lone idiosyncratic who killed anyone during the unrest that spanned respective days successful the summertime of 2020.

“True,” helium said, adding: “Mr. Rittenhouse was the lone idiosyncratic who was chased by Joseph Rosenbaum that evening.”

Punctuating his opening connection with photos and videos from the nighttime of the shootings — implicit the objections of the prosecution — Mr. Richards turned to the radical who were changeable by Mr. Rittenhouse, characterizing them arsenic hostile and belligerent.

The mob had a “marauding nature,” helium said, truthful assertive that helium said Richard McGinniss, a video writer for the Daily Caller, had to pacify immoderate radical with intoxicant and cigarettes.

After Mr. Rittenhouse changeable Mr. Rosenbaum and fled the country down Sheridan Road, helium was chased by dozens of people, including Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz. But portion the prosecutors described Mr. Huber and Mr. Grosskreutz arsenic citizens who were trying to halt an progressive shooter, the defence characterized them arsenic aggressors.

Mr. Huber bludgeoned Mr. Rittenhouse with a skateboard, Mr. Richards said, and a antheral who was captured connected video — but ne'er identified — jump-kicked Mr. Rittenhouse successful the face.

“Kyle Rittenhouse, level connected his back, successful the astir susceptible presumption 1 tin beryllium in,” Mr. Richards said.