KENOSHA, Wis. — During Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial on Tuesday, one of the men who was shot by the defendant, reportedly in self-defense, admitted during testimony that he approached Rittenhouse with his handgun drawn.
The prosecutor showed video recordings from Aug. 25, 2020, the night in question. Gaige Grosskreutz said he had his weapon drawn when he approached Rittenhouse. The defendant subsequently shot him in the shoulder, Post Millennial reported.
“Did there come a time when you were running that you did pull your gun out?” The prosecutor asked. Grosskreutz claimed be thought Rittenhouse was “an active shooter.”
“Again, in the moment, I thought that the defendant was an active shooter. Having been not too far behind like you mentioned just about to come into the frame here,” Grosskreutz said, referring to the video. “I had heard several more gunshots and again making inferences the defendant was the only one with a large caliber rifle. I’d seen an individual jump over the defendant, the defendant, heard two shots and then from there, saw another individual needs a skateboard to hit the defendant or hold the defendant—either way the individual hadn’t made contact with the defendant with a skateboard and then from there I heard another shot…”
“I want to back up for a second, Mr. Grosskreutz,” the prosecutor said, “because we have other video that shows you pulling your gun out before those shots are fired. So do you remember, specifically, were you intending, when you pulled your gun out, were you intending to use it?”
“If I had to,” Grosskreutz said. “I didn’t draw my firearm with express intent of using it. But also being ready if I had to use it.”
Even though he was armed, Grosskreutz also claimed during testimony to be a pacifist, according to the Post Millennial.
During cross-examination, the defense was able to get Grosskreutz to admit that he lied to police on multiple occasions by claiming he dropped his firearm. He acknowledge that prior statements to police about dropping the gun were not true, and that he was carrying the weapon even though his permit to do so had expired.
Upon further questioning, the defense asked Grosskreutz if he saw Rittenhouse behaving in a threatening manner, raising his voice, pointing his gun at people. Grosskreutz acknowledged that he did not see the defendant acting in that manner.
Meanwhile, the judge overseeing the trial on Tuesday afternoon dismissed the seventh count against Rittendhouse. That charge alleged the defendant failed to comply with an emergency management order of a state or local government by failing to heed a curfew on Aug. 25, 2020, when he shot three people and killed two of them.
After much discussion about the charge, Judge Bruce Schroder dismissed the count saying the prosecution had not met their burden of proof, Law&Crime reported.
