SHOT THREE PEOPLE, KILLING TWO
AND INJURING A THIRD DURING A
RIOT IN DOWNTOWN KENOSHA IN 2020
GOT UNDERWAY THIS WEEK.
KYLE RITTENHOUSE IS CHARGED WITH
SIX COUNTS, INCLUDING
FIRST-DEGREE INTENTIONAL
HOMICIDE AND FIRST DEGREE
RECKLESS HOMICIDE.
RITTENHOUSE WAS 17 AT THE TIME
OF THE SHOOTING.
HE PLEADED NOT GUILTY AND IS
CLAIMING SELF-DEFENSE.
WE TURN TO WISCONSIN PUBLIC
RADIO REPORTER CORRI HESS, WHO
HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE TRIAL
THIS WEEK.
SHE JOINS US NOW AFTER COVERING
THE TRIAL FROM THE KENOSHA
COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WHY DOES THIS TRIAL HAVE THE
EYES OF THE NATION ON IT?
>> I THINK THAT THERE'S SO MUCH
INTEREST IN THIS TRIAL
NATIONALLY BECAUSE SO MUCH OF IT
PLAYED OUT ON VIDEO.
THERE'S SO MUCH VIDEO AND REALLY
ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN THE STAR
WITNESS THIS WHOLE WEEK.
JURORS HAVE WATCHED JUST HOURS
OF THIS VIDEO THAT WAS TAKEN BY
PROTESTORS AND JOURNALISTS.
I MEAN, IT'S GRAY AND SOMETIMES
IT'S REALLY GRAPHIC VIDEO OF
KYLE RITTENHOUSE THROUGHOUT THE
NIGHT ON AUGUST 25, 2020,
SHOOTING AND KILLING JOSEPH
ROSENBAUM AND ANTHONY SHOU SCHUB
BE BER.
OVER THE LAST 24 MONTHS THE
NATION HAS SEEN THESE VIDEOS ON
SOCIAL MEDIA.
>> AS YOU SAY, THE TESTIMONY AND
PRESENTATION OF THIS VIDEO
FOOTAGE FROM THE NIGHT OF THE
SHOOTINGS ARE HAPPENING INSIDE
THE COURTHOUSE FOR THE JURY.
WHAT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE THE
COURTHOUSE?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE WAS
AN EXPECTATION THAT THERE COULD
HAVE BEEN ARMED MILITIA COMING
TO KENOSHA OR TROUBLE OUTSIDE OF
THE COURTHOUSE, BUT THAT REALLY
HASN'T BEEN THE CASE.
ON MONDAY MORNING THERE WERE,
BUT THERE ISN'T TOO MUCH GOING
ON OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE.
JUSTIN BLAKE, THE UNCLE OF THE
MAN WHO KENOSHA POLICE SHOT
SEVEN TIMES AND IS NOW
PARALYZED, HE'S BEEN OUT THERE,
BUT OTHERWISE IT'S BEEN PRETTY
QUIET OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE.
>> DESCRIBE WHAT KYLE
RITTENHOUSE'S DEFENSE IS.
>> THE DEFENSE IS THAT KYLE WAS
THERE TO PROTECT THE CITY AFTER
LOOTING HAD HAPPENED IN THE DAYS
BEFORE AND THAT HE CAME AND
WANTED TO JUST BE THIS PROTECTOR
AND THAT HE WAS DEFENDING
HIMSELF WHEN HE KILLED TWO
PEOPLE AND WOUNDED ANOTHER.
>> AND ALTERNATIVELY WHAT IS THE
PROSECUTION TRYING TO PROVE
HAPPENED HERE?
>> THE PROSECUTION IS TRYING TO
PROVE THAT HE WAS THIS
MASSIVELY-ARMED TEEN WHO WAS,
YOU KNOW, IN OVER HIS HEAD.
HE CAME AND JUST LIKE THIS
TRIGGER-HAPPY KID WHO STARTED
KILLING.
>> NOW, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT
HAPPENED THIS WEEK DURING THE
TRIAL AND THAT WAS THAT A JUROR
WAS REMOVED.
WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?
>> YES.
THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY MORNING.
WELL, HE WAS REMOVED YESTERDAY
MORNING.
I BELIEVE IT HAPPENED THE
EVENING BEFORE.
SO THIS JUROR, WHO WAS AN OLDER
WHITE GENTLEMAN, WAS TELLING A
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER A
TASTELESS JOKE WHICH WAS
BASICALLY -- HE WAS SAYING, YOU
KNOW, WHY HADN'T JACOB BLAKE
BEEN SHOT MORE AND THE ANSWER TO
HIS JOKE IS THE POLICE RAN OUT
OF BULLETS, SO HE WAS REMOVED.
>> VERY DIFFICULT, I IMAGINE, TO
TRY TO KEEP BIAS OUT OF THIS
TRIAL SO THAT IT IS A FAIR
TRIAL.
WHAT IS THE RACIAL MAKEUP OF THE
JURY?
>> SO THE RACIAL MAKEUP, THEY
STARTED WITH A JURY POOL OF 20,
AND 12 JURORS WILL VOTE.
AND SO ONLY ONE PERSON ON THE
JURY IS A PERSON OF COLOR.
OF COURSE, KENOSHA IS VERY
WHITE.
IT'S ABOUT 75% TO 80% WHITE.
SO IT'S NOT THAT UNUSUAL THAT
THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON OF
COLOR, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS
WORTH NOTING BECAUSE OF WHAT
THIS WHOLE CASE S. AND WHEN THE
GENTLEMAN WAS REMOVED YESTERDAY,
YOU KNOW, HE WAS LEAVING THE
COURTROOM AND SAYING THAT HIS
JOKE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE
CASE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE IT DID.
>> YEAH.
AND YOU'LL BE COVERING THIS
TRIAL FOR ITS DURATION?
>> YES.
THE PROSECUTOR SAYS THAT HE
PLANS TO WRAP UP HIS SIDE ON
TUESDAY, AND THEY'RE
ANTICIPATING ANOTHER WEEK AND A
FEW MORE DAYS.
SO POSSIBLY LIKE MAYBE THE 16TH
OR SO THIS COULD WRAP UP BY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> THAT'S JUST A GUESS.
>> OF COURSE.
CORRI HESS, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR