Teen charged in Wisconsin protest shootings pleads not responsible on all counts By Reuters

(Reuters) – Kyle Rittenhouse, {the teenager} charged with fatally taking pictures two males and wounding a 3rd at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August, pleaded not responsible to all counts in an look by video in Kenosha County Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Rittenhouse, 18, was charged with first-degree reckless murder and 5 different prison counts associated to the shootings, which occurred on Aug. 25 at an illustration that adopted the taking pictures of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer days earlier. The taking pictures left Blake paralyzed from the waist down.

Rittenhouse appeared on the transient digital arraignment in an workplace seated subsequent to his lawyer, Mark Richards, sporting a blue button down shirt, a tie and a black masks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Jury choice for Rittenhouse’s trial in Kenosha is scheduled to start on March 29.

The teenager was freed in November after his attorneys posted his $2 million bond. The supply of the cash was unclear, however his attorneys had led a drive to lift the funds from donations.

Rittenhouse’s legal professionals have mentioned Rittenhouse acted in self protection when he opened hearth with a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle on the protest.

The police taking pictures of Blake on Aug. 23, captured on cellphone video, drew a mixture of civil rights demonstrators, anarchists and right-wing militias to the streets of Kenosha, a metropolis of 100,000 folks about 40 miles (65 km) south of Milwaukee.

Officer Rusten Sheskey shot at Blake’s again seven occasions from shut vary as Blake opened the door of his automotive, putting him 4 occasions and paralyzing him from the waist down. Officials mentioned there was a knife inside Blake’s automotive.

Blake’s lawyer, Ben Crump, disputed that there was a knife within the automotive and mentioned Blake was trying to interrupt up a struggle between two girls when he was shot in entrance of three of his sons, aged 3, 5 and eight.

Prosecutors are anticipated to determine whether or not to cost Sheskey this week.

(This story corrects paragraph 2 to say Jacob Blake was paralyzed after being shot, not fatally shot)