#KYLE FOUND NOT GUILTY DRIVER#
#KYLE FOUND NOT GUILTY TRIAL#
#KYLE FOUND NOT GUILTY SERIES#

'He has a huge sense of relief for what the jury did to him today. 'He wants to get on with his life,' defence attorney Mark Richards said. A sheriff's deputy immediately whisked him out a back door. Rittenhouse, 18, began to choke up, fell forward toward the defence table and then hugged one of his attorneys as he heard a court clerk recite 'not guilty' five times. In his statement, Biden said he had spoken to Evers and offered assistance if needed to ensure public safety.Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges Friday after pleading self-defence in the deadly Kenosha, Wis., shootings that became a flashpoint in the nation's debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has put 500 members of the state National Guard on standby in the event of trouble. It's called being found NOT GUILTY - And by the way, if that's not self defense, nothing is!' To Kyle Rittenhouse for being found INNOCENT of all charges. 'I hope everyone can accept the verdict, remain peaceful, and let the community of Kenosha heal and rebuild.'įormer president Donald Trump, in a statement released on the Twitter account of his chief spokeswoman Liz Harrington, said: ' 'Justice has been served,' said Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson. Republican lawmakers welcomed the not guilty finding. 'Ha, let the boy be black and it would've been life, hell he would've had his life taken before the bullshit trial.

#KYLE FOUND NOT GUILTY DRIVER#

'We just witnessed a system built on white supremacy validate the terroristic acts of a white supremacist,' tweeted Colin Kaepernick, the American footballer and racial justice activist who initiated the national anthem protests that roiled the NFL.īubba Wallace, the only black driver in the top flight of hugely popular NASCAR racing said the verdict would have been different had Rittenhouse been Black. 'That a teenager could travel across state lines to a protest he had nothing to do with shoot three people, killing two and face no criminal consequences is a miscarriage of justice and an indictment of our criminal justice system,' Watts said.įor many athletes of color, the verdict represented a US justice system weighted against minorities. Shannon Watts, founder of gun control group Moms Demand Action, was among those denouncing the not guilty finding.

#KYLE FOUND NOT GUILTY SERIES#

Prosecutors said Rittenhouse - who lived in the neighboring state of Illinois - had come to Kenosha as a self-appointed 'junior policeman' and 'made a series of reckless decisions.' In right-wing and pro-gun circles, Rittenhouse, who claimed he went to Kenosha to protect businesses from looters and act as a medic, was hailed as a heroic figure. The jury deliberated for a total of 26 hours over four days before delivering a unanimous verdict of not guilty on all counts.Ĭivil unrest erupted in Kenosha, a city of 100,000 on the shores of Lake Michigan, in August 2020 after a white policeman shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the back several times during an arrest, leaving him paralyzed. The most serious charge - intentional homicide - carried a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Rittenhouse faced five charges - one count of intentional homicide, one count of reckless homicide, one count of attempted intentional homicide and two counts of recklessly endangering safety. Prosecutors dismissed the self-defense claim, saying it was the then 17-year-old Rittenhouse who 'provoked' the events during a night of unrest in Kenosha.

#KYLE FOUND NOT GUILTY TRIAL#

Rittenhouse testified during the two-week trial that he shot dead two men and wounded another with his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle after being attacked. Protestors also marched in Chicago and New York, while in Portland demonstrators clashed with law enforcement and damaged buildings. Several opponents marched around beating drums and chanting 'Guilty, guilty, the whole system is guilty as hell.' There were scattered cheers and clapping from supporters of Rittenhouse outside the Kenosha courthouse after the verdict.

'I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law. 'While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken,' Biden said in a statement. President Joe Biden warned against violence following the verdict in the closely watched trial and appealed for calm. Rittenhouse, who claimed he acted in self-defense, sobbed and shook as the verdict was read, sank into his chair and embraced his lawyer before rushing out of the courtroom.

Kyle found not guilty