‘Everybody Takes a Beating Sometimes’: Prosecutor Suggests Rittenhouse Should Have Let the Mob Attack Him

By
David Rufful
-
OPINION | This article contains commentary that reflects the author's opinion.

In the murder trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the defendant says that he fired and killed two people in self-defense in the wake of violent “Black Lives Matter” riots that rocked Kenosha, Wisconsin for three nights last year.

In an unbelievable statement, prosecutor James Kraus told the jury that Kyle Rittenhouse should have let himself be attacked because “everybody takes a beating sometimes.”

The prosecution claims that Rittenhouse did not have the “privilege” of self-defense, even though he was pursued and attacked during the riot.

Going a step further, the prosecutors James Kraus and Thomas Binger describe the violent mob as “heroes” who were merely concerned citizens acting to stop what they saw as an “active shooter” on the street.

“Mr. Richards misstated the standard [for self-defense],” Kraus argued.

“It is not ‘could have caused’ great bodily harm or death. It is not ‘likely’ to have caused great bodily harm or death. It is ‘imminent threat’ of death or great bodily harm.”

“Where is that, when you get a couple scrapes? Everybody takes a beating sometimes, right?” he said.

“Sometimes you get in a scuffle, and maybe you do get hurt a little bit. That doesn’t mean you get to start plugging people with your full metal jacket AR-15 rounds.”

The prosecution in the Rittenhouse murder trial has also accused teenager Kyle Rittenhouse of being “too cowardly to use his own fists” when a career criminal and violent rioter attacked him.

Binger and Kraus have accused Rittenhouse of unfairly bringing a gun to a fistfight.

The prosecution also failed to mention that 26-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz admitted in court that he was pointing a gun that night at Rittenhouse when the teenager fired.

Kraus said, “Clearly, if there is a provocation, he is guilty. But even outside of provocation, why do you get to immediately just start shooting.”

“As Mr. Binger said, he brought a gun to a fistfight and he was too cowardly to use his own fists to fight his way out. He has to start shooting.”

Watch the clip:

Kraus continued, “Let’s assume for a minute, yeah, Joseph Rosenbaum is chasing after the defendant because he wants to do some physical harm to him.”

“He’s an unarmed man. This is a bar fight. This is a fistfight,” he continued. “This is a fight that maybe many of you have been involved in. Two people. Hand to hand. Who are throwing punches or pushing or shoving or whatever.”

“But what you don’t do, is you don’t bring a gun to a fistfight,” Binger added.

WATCH:

Constitutional scholar and Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz made a bombshell statement amid the trial of 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse who is accused of murder.

“He should be acquitted,” Dershowitz said. And then he should due media organizations for smearing him, Dershowitz added.

“If I were a juror, I would vote that there was reasonable doubt that he did act in self-defense, and then he’ll bring lawsuits and that’s the way to answer.”

“I’ve sued CNN, the Covington people have sued CNN. You know, the idea is to make the media accountable for deliberate and willful lies, and that is consistent with the First Amendment,” he concluded.