Warning: This live video may contain violent and/or disturbing images with strong language. Viewer discretion is advisedThe trial for a man charged with killing two men and wounding a third with an assault-style rifle during protests last summer began Tuesday morning in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kyle Rittenhouse, now 18, formerly of Antioch, Illinois, has been charged with six felonies and one misdemeanor.He has pleaded not guilty by self-defense in the August 2020 shootings of three men as protests ensued after the police shooting of Jacob Blake.Two of those victims died.Witness: Martin HowardKenosha Police Detective Martin Howard is on the witness stand.He was assigned to surveillance in squad cars to watch crowds on the night of Aug. 25.Howard said he went to gas stations to shut off pumps to prevent arsons.He testified he was also stationed near the interstate off ramps, looking for groups of cars getting off in Kenosha, possibly with license plates removed.Howard is one of the lead detectives on the homicide case.A lot of jurors were taking vigorous notes as Howard is on the stand.Howard testified about when he went to interview Rittenhouse after he turned himself into police in Antioch, Illinois.He said Rittenhouse had a few cuts, scrapes, and small bumps on the head.Prosecutor Thomas Binger showed the jury another livestream video from TheRundownLive but the defense objected to audio from the man recording the video, saying it's editorialization.The judge said the defendant's statements are allowed. Witness: Koerri WashingtonThe prosecution's third witness was self-described social media influencer Koerri Washington, of Kenosha.He began his testimony Tuesday afternoon."In my opinion, people like myself make things better for everyone because it helps show another side of the full picture," Washington said.He said he followed the protests after the Blake shooting to document what happened.The jury watched as the prosecution played a portion of Washington's Facebook Live video from the night of Aug. 25.His video shows a crowd yelling at a group of armed men, including Rittenhouse, who was smoking a cigarette while holding the AR-15.Washington's testimony continued Wednesday morning.Jurors began the day watching two monitors just outside the jury box as prosecutors seek to enter extensive video they say will support their case. Just before the trial started, Rittenhouse's mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, walked over to her son at the defense table to speak with him and a lawyer.Rittenhouse, in a blue suit and tie, hunched forward at the defense table to watch the same video as jurors on a desktop screen.Many jurors jotted down extensive notes when testimony turned to levels of violence at the Kenosha protests.They seemed especially attentive when a defense attorney during a cross-examination displayed video of dozens of cars ablaze in a Car Source lot the day before the shootings, orange flames billowing above the business.For their part, prosecutors have emphasized an absence of deadly violence in Kenosha, other than from Rittenhouse, on the day he shot three protesters.
Warning: This live video may contain violent and/or disturbing images with strong language. Viewer discretion is advised
The trial for a man charged with killing two men and wounding a third with an assault-style rifle during protests last summer began Tuesday morning in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Kyle Rittenhouse, now 18, formerly of Antioch, Illinois, has been charged with six felonies and one misdemeanor.
He has pleaded not guilty by self-defense in the August 2020 shootings of three men as protests ensued after the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Two of those victims died.
Witness: Martin Howard
Kenosha Police Detective Martin Howard is on the witness stand.
He was assigned to surveillance in squad cars to watch crowds on the night of Aug. 25.
Howard said he went to gas stations to shut off pumps to prevent arsons.
He testified he was also stationed near the interstate off ramps, looking for groups of cars getting off in Kenosha, possibly with license plates removed.
Howard is one of the lead detectives on the homicide case.
A lot of jurors were taking vigorous notes as Howard is on the stand.
Howard testified about when he went to interview Rittenhouse after he turned himself into police in Antioch, Illinois.
He said Rittenhouse had a few cuts, scrapes, and small bumps on the head.
Prosecutor Thomas Binger showed the jury another livestream video from TheRundownLive but the defense objected to audio from the man recording the video, saying it's editorialization.
The judge said the defendant's statements are allowed.
Witness: Koerri Washington
The prosecution's third witness was self-described social media influencer Koerri Washington, of Kenosha.
He began his testimony Tuesday afternoon.
"In my opinion, people like myself make things better for everyone because it helps show another side of the full picture," Washington said.
He said he followed the protests after the Blake shooting to document what happened.
The jury watched as the prosecution played a portion of Washington's Facebook Live video from the night of Aug. 25.
His video shows a crowd yelling at a group of armed men, including Rittenhouse, who was smoking a cigarette while holding the AR-15.
Washington's testimony continued Wednesday morning.
Jurors began the day watching two monitors just outside the jury box as prosecutors seek to enter extensive video they say will support their case.
Just before the trial started, Rittenhouse's mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, walked over to her son at the defense table to speak with him and a lawyer.
Rittenhouse, in a blue suit and tie, hunched forward at the defense table to watch the same video as jurors on a desktop screen.
Many jurors jotted down extensive notes when testimony turned to levels of violence at the Kenosha protests.
They seemed especially attentive when a defense attorney during a cross-examination displayed video of dozens of cars ablaze in a Car Source lot the day before the shootings, orange flames billowing above the business.
For their part, prosecutors have emphasized an absence of deadly violence in Kenosha, other than from Rittenhouse, on the day he shot three protesters.
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