500 National Guards on standby in Wisconsin as Kyle Rittenhouse trial nears end

Wisconsin’s governor has ordered 500 National Guard members on standby as the closely-watched homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse draws to a close.

Rittenhouse, 18, fatally shot two men and wounded a third during protests against racism and police brutality in Kenosha, which had erupted following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, by a white police officer last year.

Blake was left paralyzed from the waist down.

Rittenhouse is charged with intentional homicide, reckless homicide, attempted intentional homicide, and other charges in connection with the August 25, 2020, shooting. He has pleaded not guilty to the six charges leveled against him.

During eight days of testimony, including an emotional turn on the stand by Rittenhouse himself, witnesses described a chaotic and violent night of protests where guns abounded in the hands of protesters and militiamen.

Trial of Kyle Rittenhouse charged with killing 2 protesters to start Monday

The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse seems certain to underscore the deep fractures in American society over gun rights and the Black Lives Matter movement.

"I didn't want to have to kill anybody. I was being attacked," Rittenhouse testified Wednesday, his voice shaking. Anthony Huber, 26, and Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, were killed in the shooting, and Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, was injured.

Rittenhouse used a military-style assault rifle to shoot them.  He faces life in prison if convicted on the first-degree intentional homicide charge, and up to 60 years on each of the other charges.

Proceedings turned heated in court on Wednesday when defense lawyers requested a mistrial and the presiding judge shouted angrily at the lead prosecutor, accusing him of asking questions of the defendant that were legally out of bounds.

Schroeder heavily admonished prosecutors and questioned the authenticity of footage presented in evidence, and apparently forgot to silence his phone in court, which at one point rang with a song used at Donald Trump’s rallies.

The former president had defended Rittenhouse, saying the defendant would have been “killed by demonstrators” if he had not opened fire. 

Trump defends Kenosha killer as hundreds of US anti-racism protesters arrested

US President Donald Trump defends a 17-year old charged with killing two people during anti-racism protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, saying the accused gunman would have been “killed by demonstrators” if he had not opened fire.

Closing arguments in the high-profile case are set to take place Monday. The jury will then begin deliberations.

The Wisconsin National Guard has been put on standby outside Kenosha, ready to assist law enforcement agents if necessary.

“I urge folks who are otherwise not from the area to please respect the community by reconsidering any plans to travel there and encourage those who might choose to assemble and exercise their First Amendment rights to do so safely and peacefully,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.

On Friday, prosecutors asked approval for the jury to consider lesser charges against Rittenhouse on some criminal counts, including those related to the shootings of Huber and Grosskreutz.

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