TRIAL OF KYLE RITTENHOUSE IN
KENOSHA, NOT GUILTY ON ALL
COUNTS.
THE WORLD WAS WATCHING THE CASE
OF A TEENAGER ARMED WITH AN
AR-15 WHO INSERTED HIMSELF INTO
A CHAOTIC RACIAL JUSTICE PROTEST
AS A SELF-DESCRIBED MEDIC.
HE ADMITTED HE SHOT THREE MEN,
KILLING TWO OF THEM.
BUT HE TESTIFIED IT WAS
SELF-DEFENSE.
WE GO TO KENOSHA AND TO "HERE
AND NOW" REPORTER MARISA WOJCIK.
MARISA, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR
BEING HERE.
>> AFTER 26 HOURS OF
DELIBERATING, THE JURY FOUND
RITTENHOUSE NOT GUILTY ON ALL
FIVE COUNTS.
>> WE NEED TO BE IN THE PROCESS
OF REBUILDING THE SYSTEM THAT
CONTINUALLY AFRICAN-AMERICANS
GOING TO JAIL WHILE WHITE
COUNTERPARTS COMMIT HEINOUS
CRIMES AND GO HOME TO THEIR
FAMILIES.
>> AS HE SAID WHEN HE TESTIFIED,
HE DID NOT START THIS AND WE'RE
THANKFUL IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
THAT THE JURY FINALLY GOT TO
HEAR THE TRUE STORY.
>> SO THIS IS THE END OF THE
STORY, BUT WHERE DID IT ALL
BEGIN?
>> ALL WEEK LONG, TENSIONS ROSE
OVER THE CASE OF KYLE
RITTENHOUSE.
RITTENHOUSE STOOD TRIAL ON
CHARGES INCLUDING FIRST-DEGREE
MURDER AFTER SHOOTING THREE
PEOPLE, KILLING TWO OF THEM,
DURING BLACK LIVES MATTER
PROTESTS IN KENOSHA IN AUGUST OF
LAST YEAR.
PROSECUTORS DEPICTED RITTENHOUSE
AS AN OUT-OF-TOWN AGENT OF CHAOS
WHO IN AT THAT GATED THE
CONFLICT WHILE DEFENDING A
BUSINESS BRANDISHING AN AR-15
RIFLE AND THAT HE WAS THE ONLY
REAL THREAT THAT NIGHT.
>> THESE GUYS WITH THE AR-15s
ARE JUST WANNA BE SOLDIERS,
TRYING TO MANUFACTURE SUCH
PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THIS
EVENT, FURTHERING THEIR OWN
PERSONAL AGENDA, JUST A SMALL
PART OF THE DELUGE OF TOURISTS
WE SAW.
>> THEY PORTRAYED THE TEENAGER
AS SOMEONE WITH TIES TO THE
KENOSHA COMMUNITY GUARDING LOCAL
BUSINESSES AND THEY SAID HE WAS
PREVENTING AN IRRATIONAL AND
CRAZY PROTESTOR FROM STEALING
HIS AR-15 AND USING IT AGAINST
HIM AND OTHERS.
>> KYLE SHOT JOSEPH ROSENBAUM TO
STOP A THREAT TO HIS PERSONMENT
AND I'M GLAD HE SHOT HIM BECAUSE
IF JOSEPH ROSENBAUM HAD GOT THAT
GUN I DON'T BELIEVE FOR A MINUTE
BELIEVE HE WOULDN'T HAVE USED IT
AGAINST SOMEBODY ELSE.
HE WAS IRRATIONAL AND CRAZY.
>> DURING PROCEEDINGS THE
DEFENSE MADE MOTIONS FOR A
MISTRIAL, INCLUDING AN ARGUMENT
THAT VIDEO EVIDENCE SHOWN
REPEATEDLY TO THE JURY WAS
MISHANDLED.
THE TRIAL HAS FOCUSED
INTERNATIONAL INTENTION ON
KENOSHA, WISCONSIN.
WITH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
VERDICT SPANNING BEYOND KYLE
RITTENHOUSE AS A STATEMENT ON
GUN RIGHTS, RACIAL JUSTICE AND
WHITE VIGILANTISM.
>> AS THIS TRIAL CULMINATED IN
THE READING OF THE VERDICT, WHAT
WAS THAT LIKE WHEN IT CAME IN AS
NOT GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS?
>> IT WAS DRAMATIC INSIDE THE
COURTROOM.
KYLE RITTENHOUSE WAS CRYING AND
HE COLLAPSED.
OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE ACTIVISTS
WERE CLEARLY DISAPPOINTED BUT
THEY SAID THEY ARE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR GI --
JUSTICE.
RITTENHOUSE'S ATTORNEY SAID HE
REPRESENTS CLIENTS, NOT CAUSES,
BUT PROTESTORS DO THINK THAT
THIS IS A MATTER OF A CAUSE FOR
RACIAL JUSTICE.
>> SO THERE HAS BEEN RESPONSE
FROM ALL CORNERS OF ELECTED
OFFICIALS, RIGHT?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
SO DEMOCRATS LIKE GOVERNOR TONY
EVERS SAY THAT WISCONSIN HAS A
LONG WAY TO GO TOWARDS EQUITY.
REPUBLICANS LIKE ASSEMBLY
SPEAKER ROBIN VOS SAYS THIS
PROVES THAT THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
WORKS.
EVEN PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WEIGHED
IN SAYING THAT WE SHOULD TRUST
THE JURY SYSTEM AND ABIDE BY
THEIR VERDICTS.
>> SO WE KNOW THAT TENSIONS WERE
HIGH JUST AHEAD OF THE VERDICT
AND THERE WERE PREDICTIONS OF
TROUBLE, BUT BEHIND YOU NOW IT
LOOKS QUIET, WHICH IS A GOOD
THING.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT RR
PLANS TO DO NOW?
>> HIS ATTORNEY SAID THAT KYLE
AND HIS FAMILY PLAN TO MOVE OUT
OF THE AREA AND HIS ATTORNEY
SAYS HE HOPES THAT HE WILL KEEP
A LOW PROFILE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
MARISA WOJCIK, THANKS VERY MUCH.
THANKS FOR YOUR COVERAGE.