Here & Now

Kenosha After the Rittenhouse Verdict

Frederica Freyberg:

The verdict in the murder 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 protector and medic. Rittenhouse admitted he shot three men the night of August 25, 2020, killing two of them. But he testified it was self-defense. We go to Kenosha and to “Here & Now” reporter Marisa Wojcik. Marisa, thanks very much for being here.

Marisa Wojcik:

After 26 hours of deliberating, the jury found Rittenhouse not guilty on all five counts.

Justin Blake:

We need to be in the process of rebuilding the system that continually has African-Americans going to jail at rates that you can’t believe while white counterparts commit heinous crimes and go home to their families.

Mark Richards:

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.

Marisa Wojcik:

So this is the end of the story, but where did it all begin? All week long, tensions rose over the fate 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 instigated the conflict while defending a business he had no connection to brandishing an AR-15 rifle and that Rittenhouse himself was the only real threat that night.

Thomas Binger:

These guys with the AR-15s are just wannabe soldiers, acting tough, trying to manufacture some personal connection to this event, furthering their own personal agenda, just a small part of the deluge of chaos tourists we saw here in Kenosha.

Marisa Wojcik:

Rittenhouse’s attorneys portrayed the teenager as someone with ties to the Kenosha community who was there to help safeguard against bad actors, guarding local businesses and they said he was preventing an irrational and crazy protester from stealing his AR-15 and using it against him and others.

Mark Richards:

Kyle shot Joseph Rosenbaum to stop a threat to his person. And I’m glad he shot him because if Joseph Rosenbaum had got that gun, I don’t – for a minute – believe he wouldn’t have used it against somebody else. He was irrational and crazy.

Marisa Wojcik:

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 in on Kenosha, Wisconsin. With the significance of the verdict spanning beyond Kyle Rittenhouse as a statement on gun rights, racial justice and white vigilantism.

Frederica Freyberg:

So Marisa, as this trial culminated in the reading of the verdict, what was that like when it came in as not guilty on all counts?

Marisa Wojcik:

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 justice. Rittenhouse’s attorney in a press conference afterwards that he represents clients, not causes, but activists and Black Lives Matter protesters do think that this is a matter of a cause for racial justice.

Frederica Freyberg:

So there has been response from all corners of elected officials, right?

Marisa Wojcik:

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.

Frederica Freyberg:

So we know that tensions were high just ahead of the verdict and there were predictions of trouble, but seeing behind you now it looks quiet, which is a good thing. What do we know about what Kyle Rittenhouse plans to do now?

Marisa Wojcik:

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.

Frederica Freyberg:

All right. Marisa Wojcik, thanks very much. Thanks for your coverage.

Marisa Wojcik:

Thank you.