Provocation or self-defence? Jury in Kyle Rittenhouse trial to weigh 2 different portrayals

The prosecution kicked offclosing arguments Monday in the trial of KyleRittenhouse, aiming to convince the jury that theteenageropened fire during protests in Kenosha, Wis., without justificationand after provoking a conflict.

Rittenhouse is charged with felony homicide related to the killings of two men and attempted felony homicide forwounding a third in the summer of 2020.

Kenosha County AssistantDistrict Attorney Thomas Bingerargued thatRittenhouse instigated the firstshooting by pointing his weapon at people, and caused thesubsequent encounters by creating an "active shooter" situationin which protesters felt an urgency to disarm him.

"If you created the danger, you forfeit the right toself-defence by bringing that gun, aiming it at people, threatening people's lives," said Binger, who tried to demonstrate this by lifting up the weapon in front of the jury.

"The defendant provokedeverything," he said.

Rittenhouse's lawyer, Mark Richards,countered that the shooting started after the young man was ambushed by a "crazy person" that night and feared his gun a semi-automatic AR-15-style rifle was going to be wrested away and used to kill him. In his final address to the jury, Richards said Rittenhouse acted in self-defence.

The trial is part of the most closely watched case involvinga civilian's right to self-defence since George Zimmerman wasacquitted in 2013 in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmedBlack teenager.

Like Zimmerman, Rittenhouse has emerged as a divisivefigure, viewed as heroic by some conservatives who favourexpansive gun rights and as a symbol of an out-of-controlAmerican gun culture by many on the left.

Rittenhouse, 18, is charged with killing Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, andAnthony Huber, 26, and for wounding Gaige Grosskreutz, whoturned 28 this month, on Aug. 25, 2020.

The shootings took placeduring protests marred by arson, rioting and looting thatfollowed the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, whowas left paralyzed from the waist down.

Rittenhousehas pleaded not guilty and testified lastweek that he acted in self-defence. Hefaces life in prison ifconvicted. He was 17 at the time of the shootings.

Weapons charge dismissed

With the defence'sclosing arguments, the jurybegan deliberations and will attempt to form a consensus onguilt or innocence.

The closing arguments werethe lawyers' last chance toinfluence a jury which has heard evidence supportingRittenhouse's argument that he was attacked before he fired hisrifle.

In his testimony, the teen, at times losing his composure andcrying, said he did not want to kill anyone that night.

Earlier Monday, the trial judge dismissed a misdemeanorcharge against Rittenhouse for illegally possessing therifle he used in the shootings.

Judge Bruce Schroeder sided with the defence argument thatthere were exceptions in the law that appeared to allow forRittenhouse to possess the semi-automatic rifle.

While a misdemeanor charge, its dismissal carries symbolicsignificance for a case that has captured the attention of thepublic in part because it involved a teenager roaming thestreets with a semi-automatic rifle who was not immediatelybrought into custody by the police in Kenosha.