After 4 days of deliberations, the jury in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse has acquitted him on all charges stemming from killing two and injuring a third in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year during unrest over Black Lives Matter.
Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who killed two people and shot another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was acquitted Friday of first-degree intentional homicide and four other felony charges.
Rittenhouse, wearing a dark jacket with a burgundy tie and shirt, stood behind the defense table as each not guilty verdict was read. He tried to hold back tears, then sobbed and appeared to collapse forward on the table, where he was held by one of his lawyers.
The panel of five men and seven women deliberated more than 25 hours over the past four days in a closely watched case that polarized an already divided nation.
They had asked the court a handful of questions, including requests Wednesday to rewatch much of the video evidence of the shootings. In the end, the panel agreed with the defendant's testimony that he feared for his life and acted in self-defense.
The judge praised the jury, saying he "couldn't have asked for a better jury."
After the verdict was announced, lead prosecutor Thomas Binger told the court, "The jury has represented our community in this trial and has spoken."
I will say that quite frankly, "stand your ground" laws like this were designed to produce not guilty verdicts when the killer is white, and the victims are non-white or allies of those who are non-white. Rittenhouse went to Kenosha that night with the intent to use deadly force at his discretion, and the law allowed him to do so.
Working as intended for him.
For the rest of us, it's always been open season on taking our lives at a moment's notice. I am Black in America and I only continue to draw breath as a living being because a cop or armed white person hasn't decided to take my life yet.
All of us Black and brown folk live with this reality daily, and hey, other white folk who side with us can now be killed with impunity too.
Remember that.
Stay safe.
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