The defense on Thursday rested its case in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial following nearly a week of testimony that saw the 18-year-old sob on the stand and say he fatally shot two men and wounded another in self-defense.

Rittenhouse is accused of killing Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and grievously injuring Gaige Grosskreutz. The then-17-year-old went to Kenosha with his AR-15-style rifle to protect an automobile dealership located near the heart of the August 2020 protests.

Prosecutors have tried to paint Rittenhouse as a “tourist” who wanted to insert himself in the chaos that unfolded in Kenosha following the shooting of Jacob Blake Jr., a black man shot in the back seven times by a white police officer. Following the incident, hundreds of people came to the small manufacturing city to protest police brutality. What began as peaceful protests quickly devolved into angry clashes that ended in two deaths, multiple injuries, and $50 million in damages.

Rittenhouse’s defense team spent the week trying to prove he feared for his life when Rosenbaum lunged at him, Huber hit him with a skateboard, and Grosskreutz pointed a pistol at him.

At times, Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder became frustrated with prosecutors and admonished them for their courtroom tactics.

On Thursday, the defense demanded a mistrial with no right to a retrial after accusing the chief prosecutor of asking Rittenhouse out-of-bounds questions and trying to introduce evidence the judge had previously ruled inadmissible.

The high-profile case has divided the public over whether Rittenhouse was a patriot taking a stand against lawlessness or a trigger-happy vigilante.

In addition to counts of intentional, reckless, and attempted homicide and reckless endangerment, Rittenhouse is charged with possessing a firearm as a minor, a misdemeanor. A curfew violation charge was dismissed Tuesday.

If he is convicted of the most serious charge, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.

This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.

Original Location: Defense rests in Kyle Rittenhouse trial following a week of tense testimony, angry outbursts, and a sobbing defendant

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