MILWAUKEE (AP/TMJ4) — Prosecutors want a video of Kyle Rittenhouse accepted into evidence that they say shows him talking about wanting to shoot people, footage taken about two weeks before Rittenhouse fatally shot two protesters and wounded a third.
Rittenhouse is scheduled to stand trial on Nov. 1 on a host of charges A hearing on motions is set for Sept. 17. Rittenhouse maintains he fired in self-defense.
Prosecutors filed a motion asking that the 29-second video be admitted as evidence. Prosecutors say that the video shows Rittenhouse watching some men exiting a CVS store and then commenting that he wishes he had his rifle so he could shoot them.
According to the motion: "The defendant was watching the situation from a vehicle parked across the street and had no actual interaction with anyone involved in the incident. Quite simply, the defendant saw something, jumped to a conclusion based on exactly zero facts, and then threatened to kill someone based on his baseless assumption and wrongful interpretation. The defendant’s understanding of the proper use of his “AR” and of deadly force is crucial to this case, and this video demonstrates that the defendant was eager to use deadly force in an unlawful situation."
"It shows that the defendant eagerly made assumptions about the intentions of others even though he knew absolutely nothing about what was going on. The video also demonstrates that the defendant fervently sought to insert himself as an armed vigilante into situations that had nothing to do with him. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the video proves that the defendant was ready and willing to use deadly force in a situation where it was completely unjustified. There is no lawful privilege for anyone to use deadly force to prevent property loss or stop a suspected shoplifter," according to the motion.
