Rittenhouse Has an Emotional Breakdown While Taking the Stand

Kyle Rittenhouse began to cry and panic on the stand of his trial on Nov. 10, 2021 in Kenosha, Wis.

Rittenhouse was a 17-year old from Antoich, Illinois during the shooting. He is accused of shooting four people at protests in Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020. The protests arose due to a police shooting of a man named Jacob Blake, who was shot six times and severely injured by police. This was only three months prior to the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, an event that sparked continuous protests around the nation. Rittenhouse was seen carrying a rifle during a protest at night on Aug. 25.  Kenosha police said his gun shots had struck three people. There are videos of Rittenhouse walking around with a rifle at the protests. The police said they had a warrant out for his arrest the next day following the shootings, not the night of the shootings. Rittenhouse said that he attempted to turn himself into police, but they told him to go away. Rittenhouse said he turned himself into the Antioch police department in Illinois. Rittenhouse said he went to Kenosha to help people and protect businesses. 

 Rittenhouse was arrested on multiple charges including first-degree intentional homicide, first degree recklessly endangering safety, first degree reckless homicide, and use of a dangerous weapon. Rittenhouse is pleading in self defense in his trial, which began on Nov. 1, 2021, over a year after the shooting. 

Rittenhouse was asked by his defense attorney to go through the events of the evening of Aug. 25. When Rittenhouse began to talk about the moments of the shooting, his face began to get red and had an emotional outburst. Judge Bruce Schroder called for a break. After 10 minutes, Rittenhouse returned. He appeared to be calmer once he returned. 

“I was trying to get to the police,” Rittenhouse said. “I didn’t do anything wrong, I defended myself.”

Rittenhouse said he felt safe with the police, and was trying to get to them. He said Anthony Huber, one of the victims, hit him with his skateboard while he was attempting to reach the police. 

“Huber was holding his skateboard like a baseball bat and he swings it down,” Rittenhouse said. “I blocked it with my arm trying to prevent him from  hitting me, but it still hits my neck.”

Rittenhouse said that he stumbled and fell. He said that people began to attack him, and began to kick him. Rittenhouse fired during this confrontation three times, who was Gaige Grosskreutz, Anthony Huber, and a third person that was not named, and Joseph Rosenbaum. 

Rittenhouse said that Grosskreutz pointed a pistol at him while he was on the ground, and that is when he shot him one time. 

After the defense attorney Mark Richard finished his questions, the prosecutor Thomas Binger began questioning Rittenhouse on the stand. Binger asked Rittenhouse about the possession of the AR-15 rifle that Rittenhouse used in the shooting. Rittenhouse said that he gave his friend, Dominic Black, money for the rifle. He said that Black would keep the rifle until Rittenhouse turned eighteen. 

“You knew you could not possess that gun,” Binger asked Rittenhouse. “Correct?”

Rittenhouse replied with a no. 

“It wasn’t just unlawful for you to purchase it, it was unlawful for you to bring it home,” Binger said. “Correct?”

“In Illinois I was not able to bring it home,” Rittenhouse said. “Because I didn’t have a FAID card, a Firearm Identification Card.” 

Rittenhouse said he applied for a card, but there was a backlog, and with his charges, he was unable to get one. Binger continued with questions about Rittenhouse’s lack of EMT training. Rittenhouse said he was only there to protect businesses and help people.  Rittenhouse admitted that he lied about being an EMT on Aug. 25. 

“I believe I had any other right to be there as anybody else,” said Rittenhouse.

Rittenhouse admitted that he used deadly force on those four people because he felt his life was in danger. He said it was justified to protect his own life. 

“I didn’t use deadly force to protect the property, I used deadly force to protect myself.” 

The trial has been live streamed on YouTube and has reached national news. The trial is still continuing, as of  Nov. 17.

Rittenhouse on trial on YouTube livestream