Kyle Rittenhouse broke down as he recalled how Joseph Rosenbaum ‘ambushed him’ the night before he killed him.
As Judge Bruce Schroeder ordered a halt in proceedings during the dramatizing morning of witness testimony, his mother Wendy was there, watching from the Kenosha County Courthouse public gallery, and weeping.
Rittenhouse had taken the stand in his own defense to tell the court that Rosembaum threatened to kill him twice – once while swinging a heavy chain and the second time when he said he would ‘cut out your f***ing heart’ and ‘kill you N-word.’
The teenager recounted his experiences and stated that he tried to give medical help, carrying his gun but not seeking trouble. He was then left by himself, cut off from all the others and alone on August 25, 2020.
Kyle Rittenhouse cried on the witness stand when he remembered the time he was “ambushed” by Joseph Rosenbaum that night.
Rittenhouse had taken the stand in his own defense to tell the court that Rosembaum threatened to kill him twice – once while swinging a heavy chain and the second time when he said he would ‘cut out your f***ing heart’ and ‘kill you N-word’
Mark Richards was his principal attorney. Richards asked him questions and he replied that he tried to park vehicles at one of three Car Source properties. Richards also stated that he and other vigilantes were present in Kenosha for protection during nights of civil unrest after the arrest of Jacob Blake, a black man.
With his AR-15, his AR-15, his medical bag, and fire extinguisher in hand, he stated, “I ran towards Car Source Number Three to light the fires. I stopped occasionally to take my breath, then continued to walk.”
“As I walk, I hear someone scream, “Burn in Hell!” “Friendly!” I responded. It was friendly! It’s friendly! You’re so kind!
“I noticed a flickering flame under the seat back of an automobile. [vehicle]And I took the first step towards [it]And as I move forward, Joshua Ziminski appears to be walking towards me.
“I put down the fire extinguisher, and I stepped back.” “I plan to exit that situation and head North along Sheridan Road.
His emotion clearly rising Rittenhouse continued, ‘Once I take that step I look back over my shoulder and Mr Rosenbaum was no running from my right side and there were people right there…’
Rittenhouse began to sob in his gulping breaths, and Rittenhouse’s testimony was no longer understandable. The judge had to stop proceedings and send the jury out.
Back on the stand after a brief break to compose himself Rittenhouse continued to narrate the events of the night – detailing how he was pursued and attacked first by Rosenbaum, then Huber and finally Grosskreutz.
He said that Ziminski had told Rosenbaum that he was trapped between Ziminiski und Rosenbaum, and that Ziminski had also instructed Rosenbaum to ‘Get him and Kill him’.
Rosenbaum had thrown something at him. He turned around, but it didn’t stop another man from running towards him.
Rittenhouse stated that he heard the gunshot behind Rittenhouse as he was running. He then turned his back to see Rosenbaum, who was “about as far away from me as where I am going to find the judge coming at me with both arms out in front.”
He replied, “I recall his hand touching the barrel of mine gun.”
After Rosenbaum pursued Rittenhouse through a parking lot, Rittenhouse shot him with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. He then hurled a plastic bag at Rittenhouse just before midnight on August 25, 2020. Rittenhouse shot and killed Anthony Huber (right), a Silver Lake protester.
Wendy, the mother of the boy, watched in dismay from the Kenosha County Courthouse public gallery.
He shot Rosenbaum and said that he ran to help Rosenbaum after he had finished.
‘Mr McGinniss took his helmet off, and slammed his head on the floor. He then removed his shirt. “I don’t recall what he said. I was shocked.
Rittenhouse stated that he called Black to tell him that he’d just shot someone and that he needed to kill him.
He replied, “I have heard people tell you to get your ass.” Although he thought reaching the police line was the best option, he realized that turning himself in would be the most secure. However, he kept being chased ‘by the mob’.
With his AR-15, his AR-15, and his medical bag, he stated that he started to run towards Car Source Number Three to light the fires. He stopped occasionally to take a breather and then continued walking.
He claimed, “People were screaming, and saying: “Cranium! He must be killed!
“I did not do any wrong, I stood by myself.”
He claimed that Anthony Huber struck him with his skateboard the second he thought of it. He blasted it with his arm, and then continued, but lightheaded and shocked, he stated that he fell and stumbled.
The court heard that he had been running and was struck twice in the head by a rock or some other object.
Rittenhouse said, “As I sit on the ground, there are people surrounding me. Last person: I don’t even know his name [went to kick me]I. Two shots were fired at him when his face touched mine.
I thought he’d stomp all over my face if i didn’t.
The man known as the ‘jump-kickman’ at court was not hit by either shot.
Immediately after, he said, Huber came at him again – grabbing for his gun.
He stated, “I feel the strap pulling at me. One shot.
After struggling to get up, he claimed that he noticed Grosskreutz walking towards him initially holding his hands high. Grosskreutz allegedly lowered his gun and then looked at him. But he continued, “Mr Grosskreutz lunges towards me with his pistol pointed at my scalp.”
He recalled, ‘He is standing – what I remember is our feet were touching
His hands are raised, my rifle is in his hand. His pistol is in his hand and then Mr Grosskreutz looks at me and that’s when Mr Grosskreutz brings his arm down…with me on the ground and his pistol is pointed at me and that’s when I shoot him. “Once.”
His surroundings were chaotic and he felt threatened. He then said: “I begin walking towards the police station to make myself available for the officers.”
Kyle Rittenhouse names and points out people in the photograph taken August 25, 2020
Rittenhouse recalled that he felt trapped between Ziminiski and Rosenbaum and revealed that he had heard Ziminski tell Rosenbaum to, ‘Get him and kill him’
“I walk and run, my hands are up.” I don’t hear much, and my vision is limited. Sometimes I can see flashing lights.
“I’m walking toward the window of the police vehicle and I tell the officer: “I just shot somebody.” And the officer replies, “I just shot somebody.”
‘Get the f*** back or you’re going to get pepper sprayed. Go home, go home, go home.’
Dominick Black eventually drove Rittenhouse to his home and took him with his mother, Antioch Police Department (Illinois).
He replied, “I’m still in shock. I don’t even remember what it was.”
Kyle Rittenhouse was the one who shot Gaige Grosskreutz, and his right side bicep was virtually completely torn off. Grosskreutz took the stand as the star witness for the state Monday morning
My head was spinning. It was like my head was turning.
“The Kenosha police force was closed off with a fence. I therefore went to Antioch, the nearest department that I was aware of.
While he waited for Kenosha police officers to reach him, he stated that he had been vomiting and was having panic attacks.
Rittenhouse appeared relaxed and had spoken well earlier to tell the court that he was not going to Kenosha downtown “looking for trouble”, and that he would not have shot Joseph Rosenbaum, but ‘chased him and tried his fire-arm.
He told the court that he was there to administer medical aid that evening and that during the evening he had bound a woman’s sprained ankle and tended to fellow vigilante Ryan Balch when he was affected by a chemical bomb – helping him with his breathing and to irrigate his eyes.
Rittenhouse is an experienced lifeguard and has some first aid training. At the University of Arizona, he is studying nursing.
Rittenhouse claims that Rittenhouse had earlier in the day gone to downtown Kenosha with his friend Dominick Black and sister McKenzie to remove graffiti from Reuther central High School’s side. It was during the trip with his friend Dominick Black and sister McKenzie that he said he met the owners of local business Car Source – which has three locations in the small town.
Anmol ‘Sam’ and Sahil ‘Sal’ Khindri, owners of Car Source, both said under oath they didn’t ask anybody to protect their property. However, two witnesses for defense and one witness representing the state stated that they had.
Rittenhouse earlier appeared calm, and stated clearly that he had not gone to Kenosha downtown “looking for trouble”, and that he would not have shot Joseph Rosenbaum.
Today Rittenhouse told the court that not only dd the business owners give permission for them to be there and ask for protection that night – which he had offered earlier in the day – Sal drove him, his friend Dominick Black and former Car Source worker Nick Smith to the particular property.
Sal and Sam thanked him for their help, and Sal asked if he could drive them down. He said, “Sam and Sal thanked us for coming out to help. And Sal replied: “Why don’t you guys hop in my car?” [another] Car Source lot.’
He said that he witnessed Sal give Nick Smith keys to the business – something which Khindri also denied under oath – and showed the men where ladders were kept so they could access the roof. Khindri denied that he did this.
“He told us where the power washers and hose connections were.” He also showed Nick Smith and Dominick Black the ladders to climb up onto the roof.
“I did not personally.” [use the ladders]But the people on the roof were the ones who did.
Rittenhouse, who was wide-eyed and waiting for his testimony, had been sitting in front of the judge, reaffirming to the judge that he was all right and his mind was clear.
Attorney Mark Richards confirmed that he had acted on counsel’s advice.
As Judge Bruce Schroeder claimed that Thomas Binger was “right on top” of a grave constitutional violation, the cross-examination of Kyle Rittenhouse was stopped before it even began.
Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial jurors were presented with graphic images showing the injuries to the bodies of the men that he had shot on the evening of August 25, 2020. Huber’s remains are shown
Binger stood up to cross-examine Rittenhouse. He began to claim that Rittenhouse was trying to ‘tailor his story’ according to the facts and accounts he had listened to during earlier days of testimony.
Rittenhouse already claimed that he didn’t intend to kill the men that he shot. However, he stated that he wanted ‘to stop the threat against him’ as he was being attacked.
Binger stated, “This is the first time that you have shared your story since August 25, 2019, isn’t?
‘And you have had the benefit of seeing countless videos of your actions that night…and hearing the testimony of thirty-some witnesses who have testified in this case?’
The judge disqualified the jury from reprimanding Binger after Mark Richards made an objection.
He replied, “You are commenting upon the defendant’s silence right. You are committing a serious constitutional violation. It should stop.
“This isn’t allowed.”