Prosecutors to Request "Lesser Charges" Against Kyle Rittenhouse After 2020 Shooting That Killed 2
Wisconsin prosecutors on Thursday said in the court that they plan to submit additional "lesser charges" against Kyle Rittenhouse who was accused of killing at least two and injuring one last year during an anti-police brutality protest in Kenosha.
It can be recalled that Rittenhouse killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, while he wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, ABC 7 reported.
Currently, Rittenhouse faces at least six charges after he engaged in a shooting in Kenosha on August 25 last year, NPR reported.
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Three homicide-related charges were slammed against Rittenhouse including first-degree reckless homicide for killing Rosenbaum, first-degree intentional homicide for killing Huber, and first-degree attempted intentional homicide for injuring Grosskreutz.
On Thursday, the prosecutors announced their plans of asking the judge to allow a lesser version of the charges against Rittenhouse, especially those concerning the shooting of the victims.
According to Wisconsin-based defense attorney Julius Kim, who is not involved in the case, the prosecutors' request for "lesser included charges" shows their acknowledgment that their case "might not be as strong with regard to the original charges."
Meanwhile, legal experts noted that lesser charges could include reckless homicide rather than intentional homicide, or second-degree rather than first-degree.
Kyle Rittenhouse Shooting
Rittenhouse did not plead guilty on any charges because he argued in a dramatic trial on Wednesday that the deaths from the shooting resulted from self-defense.
Rittenhouse, who was a police explorer for the Grayslake Police Department, went to Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 23, as he saw a video on social media about the unrest in the area.
In the trial, Rittenhouse revealed that he went to downtown Kenosha two days after his arrival, and volunteered to clean graffiti on a high school. He then revealed that Rosenbaum threatened his life twice, as the man told him that he's going to kill him and "cut his hearts out."
While walking with a fire extinguisher, Rittenhouse claimed that Joshua Ziminski approached him with a gun then Rosenbaum came out from behind the cars and ambushed him, ran after him, and threw a bag at him.
Rittenhouse claimed that he fired his rifle four times and tried to see if he could help Rosenbaum. However, he was not able to help him because the people were trying to get him.
While running towards the police, Rittenhouse claimed that Huber hit him with a skateboard in the neck. Multiple videos and photos showed Huber striking Rittenhouse with a skateboard, as Grosskreutz testified that he believed Huber was trying to harm Rittenhouse.
According to Kim, the state does not have presented evidence that what happened in the shooting was not self-defense.
Grosskreutz Says Kyle Rittenhouse was "Active Shooter"
As prosecutors will try to file for lesser charges against Kyle Rittenhouse, Grosskreutz, who was also a paramedic, reiterated in an interview that Rittenhouse was "an active shooter."
"I think the most important thing to remember is that Kyle Rittenhouse was an active shooter... He murdered two men and he attempted to murder me," Grosskreutz reiterated when asked what he wanted people to remember most about the trial.
As the defense rested their case on Thursday, the prosecution and defense on Monday will be given two and a half hours for closing arguments, before the jury deliberation begins regarding the Kyle Rittenhouse shooting.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Kyle Rittenhouse Cries on Stand; Judge Pauses Trial - From FOX 13 Tampa Bay