All three times Kyle Rittenhouse shot his gun in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on the night of Aug. 25, he was retreating from someone trying to assault him. That was evident within days, and the state’s foolish attempt to prosecute him made it obvious.
Politicians, commentators, and academics on the Left are all furious that the self-defense argument carried the day. They call Rittenhouse a “vigilante” and say that the verdict will spawn more vigilantism.
A very dark message sent to all the other heavily armed would-be vigilantes out there.
— Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) November 19, 2021
As it relates to our justice system, it’s said that it’s better to be a guilty, rich person in America than a poor, innocent one. It’s also clear it’s better to be a white vigilante with an AR-15 than an innocent black citizen with a mobile phone or bag of skittles. Travesty.
— David Plouffe (@davidplouffe) November 19, 2021
Did these people follow the case?
If a man shoots someone he thinks is trying to do grave physical harm to him, is he acting as a “vigilante”?
If anyone acted as vigilantes in this story, it was the two men who tried to take down Rittenhouse after he shot Joseph Rosenbaum in self-defense.
Recall the facts: Joseph Rosenbaum, a serial pedophile and violent felon, was on the streets of Kenosha simply to enjoy a riot, and because he couldn’t stay with his girlfriend thanks to a restraining order. Rosenbaum, unprovoked, chased down Rittenhouse and, as he caught up to him, Rittenhouse turned and shot him.
Neither player there is a vigilante. Rosenbaum was a violent, probably mentally ill aggressor attacking someone because he decided he didn’t like him. Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense.
Rittenhouse stated earlier in the day why he had a gun and a medical kit. “If there’s somebody hurt, I’m running into harm’s way,” he said. “That’s why I have my rifle — because I need to protect myself, obviously.”
I interviewed the alleged shooter before the violence started.
Full video coming soon: pic.twitter.com/G3dVOJozN7
— Richie?McG? (@RichieMcGinniss) August 26, 2020
He was, after all, at a riot, not a “racial justice protest,” and so he knew that dangerous violent people might be there. He was right.
It was after Rittenhouse shot Rosenbaum that the vigilante activity began. Rittenhouse was running toward the police. He was trying to surrender.
You can see the video here.
Here’s how the Washington Post describes it:
Rittenhouse fled north on Sheridan Road, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, past throngs of people on the street and sidewalks, according to video, as people yelled, “Get that dude!” and “He shot him!” Rittenhouse stumbled and fell to the ground, then took aim at the people pursuing him. Several people hit him or tried to disarm him as he was on the ground.
The law firm statement described Rittenhouse as “in fear for his life.”
One man, identified as Huber, 26, swung at Rittenhouse with his skateboard while trying to wrest the gun from the teen’s hands, prosecutors said. Rittenhouse shot Huber once in the chest and killed him, the complaint states. He then shot a third man — Gaige Grosskreutz, who was holding a handgun, the complaint says — striking him in the right arm
Grosskreutz has since testified that he aimed his gun at Rittenhouse before Rittenhouse shot.
Here’s the video.
Since the prosecution in the Rittenhouse trial is scared to show this footage. Gun pointed at the head of Kyle Rittenhouse, who responds by vaporizing the bicep of Gaige Grosskreutz and saving his own life. pic.twitter.com/0p9X90O0ep
— Kyle Rittenhouse Acquitted (@DschlopesIsBack) November 11, 2021
So if a kid you think shot someone is running toward the police, angry rioters scream, “Get him!” and you try to get him, assaulting him with a skateboard and pointing a gun at him, you’re the vigilante, not him.
