Society
Rittenhouse Fired Shots When Rioters Attacked, Defense Says
- Two men killed when they threatened the teen, defense claims
- Prosecutor urges jurors to reject self-defense in murder trial
Kyle Rittenhouse, center, makes his way to his seat at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Nov. 15.
Photographer: Sean Krajacic/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Kyle Rittenhouse fired shots that killed two men and injured a third at a chaotic Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, because the teenager “feared for his life” as he was attacked by rioters, his defense lawyer told jurors at the end of his murder trial.
Rittenhouse wasn’t doing anything improper when he brought an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle to the city the night of the protests in August 2020, Mark D. Richards said Monday. But video evidence showed Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time, was chased by the men he shot at, including some who tried to take his gun or hit him or ambush him, Richards said.