Illinois teenager pleads not guilty to murder in Kenosha protest

MADISON, Wisconsin (AP) – An Illinois teenager who fatally shot two people and wounded a third in the midst of sometimes violent summer protests on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges including manslaughter.

Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, presented his appeal at a brief teleconference hearing that took place just as Kenosha was preparing for a prosecution at the event that brought Rittenhouse to town in August – the police shot at Jacob Blake.

Prosecutors say Rittenhouse, who is white, left his home in Antioch, Illinois, and traveled to Kenosha after learning of a call to protect companies after Blake, a black man, was shot seven times in the back on August 23 and was paralyzed.

Rittenhouse opened fire with an assault rifle during protests two nights later, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. Rittenhouse argued that he shot self-defense. Conservatives came together around Rittenhouse, describing him as a patriot who took up arms to protect people and property and raised enough money to pay his $ 2 million bail.

Others see him as a domestic terrorist whose presence with a rifle has incited protesters.

The Blake shooting came three months after George Floyd died while being restrained by police in Minneapolis, which was also filmed on video and sparked outrage and protests that spread across the United States and beyond. The galvanized Black Lives Matter movement has set the spotlight on unfair policing and has become a fracture line in politics, with President Donald Trump criticizing protesters and aggressively pressing a message of law and order that he sought to capitalize on Wisconsin and other undecided states.

In Kenosha, while the protests that followed damaged businesses in the city of 100,000, near the Wisconsin-Illinois border – officials estimated an estimated $ 50 million in damage – some people responded to a social media call to travel to Kenosha.

Conservatives have joined Rittenhouse’s legal defense, arguing that he was a patriot who took up arms to protect people and property. Rittenhouse, who is white, was 17 at the time of the shooting and charges include the illegal possession of a dangerous weapon by someone under 18.

A pre-trial conference for Rittenhouse was scheduled for March 10, with a trial date of March 29, although his lawyer Mark Richards has indicated that he would try to postpone it to allow more time to prepare.

Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley did not publicly announce the timing of a decision on police charges by Rusten Sheskey. But the city has begun to move in the past few days to prepare for the event, with some companies closing their concrete windows and barricades and large metal fences around Kenosha County Court. Fearing a repeat of the August protests, the Kenosha Common Council on Monday night unanimously passed an emergency resolution that takes effect with the announcement and allows the mayor to establish curfews.

Meanwhile, Governor Tony Evers has deployed 500 National Guard soldiers to assist Kenosha officials when the decision is announced.

“Our National Guard members will be available to support local first aid, ensure that the Kenoshans can meet safely and protect critical infrastructure as needed,” said Evers in a statement.

Blake’s father led a march through the city on Monday night, urging people to “make noise” and be “heard around the world”.

“(Sheskey) tried to kill my son and could have killed my grandchildren,” said Jacob Blake Sr. during a press conference before the march. “He shot him seven times without reason in the back.”

The family said it took too long for a charging decision, and precautions suggest that Sheskey will not be charged.

“What is the National Guard for?” Jacob Blake Sr. said. “Are they going to deliver mail? Deliver ice cream? Why do you think they are here? “

Tanya McLean, executive director of the community organization Leaders of Kenosha and a friend of the Blake family, said at the beginning of Monday night’s march that violence is not acceptable.

“No matter what the decision is, we are looking for non-violence,” she said. “We want everyone to go out, make as much noise as they want, but we don’t want any destruction of property or business. We are in favor of non-violence. Anything else is not acceptable for this community. “