Last week, Kyle Rittenhouse's case finally went to trial.  He is accused of murdering two men and attempting to murder a third.  From the beginning, he has asserted that he acted in self-defense, and the available video footage supports his contention.  Last week, his defense got a boost when the prosecution's witnesses testified that Kyle avoided conflict and was running away from one of the dead men, Joseph Rosenbaum, who had sworn to kill Kyle, had cornered him, and was trying to seize Kyle's gun.  The prosecution's case took an even bigger hit on Monday when Gaige Grosskreutz, the prosecution's star witness, admitted that he was aiming a loaded gun at Kyle when the latter shot him.

I must give Grosskreutz points for testifying honestly, although he could hardly do otherwise, given the video evidence showing two important things: (1) when Grosskreutz held his hands up in the universal surrender position, Kyle did not fire, and (2) when Grosskreutz aimed a loaded gun at Kyle from three feet away, Kyle fired a shot disabling Grosskreutz's gun arm:

Grosskreutz had other useful testimony for Kyle Rittenhouse's defense.  Once again, Andrew Branca has a splendid summary, with lots of video footage.  I highly recommend it for anyone who wants the important details from a full day of testimony.  Here are the top notes from that summary:

Grosskreutz admitted that Kyle never fired an offensive shot at anybody.  His only shots were fired defensively.  His control was such that he held fire if people attacking him backed off.

Grosskreutz also testified that he was concerned that Kyle might be injured when Anthony Huber, whom Kyle shot fatally, swung his skateboard at Kyle's head — testimony that contradicted Assistant District Attorney Binger's attempt to ridicule the idea that skateboards could be a lethal weapon.  It emerged that Grosskreutz had told the police that Huber was swinging the board with his grip on the metal fixtures, making the board itself exceptionally lethal.

When shown the footage of the "jump kick man" attempting to bash Kyle's head in with a flying jump, Grosskreutz first tried to deny that the man was aiming lethal force at Kyle's head.  Eventually, though, Grosskreutz was forced to concede that, yes, it could have been a lethal attack.

Tellingly, writes Branca:

Grosskreutz was compelled under cross-examination to concede that in every one of his own interactions with Rittenhouse — until, of course, his attack on the fallen 17-year-old with the Glock pistol — that Kyle was far from volatile or provocative, but was instead non-confrontational, and simply seeking to help people. And this was true even when it was Grosskreutz himself acting in a provocative manner towards Kyle[.]

Branca also comments on one of the ironies of the case, regarding who had a right to carry a gun — which, in this case, was nobody.  It turns out that while Kyle was openly carrying his weapon, which is legal in Wisconsin, although it wasn't a weapon to which he was legally entitled, Grosskreutz was illegally carrying a concealed weapon.  Kyle, though, is facing life in prison plus five years for that unlawful gun possession charge, while Grosskreutz hasn't faced any charges.

While Grosskreutz couldn't help but admit that Kyle didn't shoot when Grosskreutz appeared harmless but did shoot when Grosskreutz aimed a loaded gun at his head — because the video was right there — Branca writes that the remainder of Grosskreutz's testimony showed him to be an out-and-out liar:

For example, despite the voluminous video evidence of Grosskreutz chasing down a fleeing Kyle Rittenhouse, video that was repeatedly shown to the jury during cross-examination, Grosskreutz repeated[ly] lied and said he was not chasing Kyle.

I mean, who are we supposed to believe, the felon who tried to gun down a fallen 17-year-old in the street, or our own lying eyes?

I'll end with the best video footage of the day, because of the reaction you'll see and hear from the three lawyers listening to the testimony when Grosskreutz admits that he had a loaded gun aimed at Kyle's head when Kyle finally shot him:

Rittenhouse trial should be over immediately. pic.twitter.com/PHZnHS5rD9

— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) November 8, 2021

At this point, a clear picture is emerging: Kyle avoided confrontation; sought to help people; ran away from Rosenbaum after the latter threatened to shoot him, and pulled the trigger only when Rosenbaum had him trapped and lunged for Kyle's gun; that Kyle shot Huber when Huber was trying to bash Kyle's head in or decapitate him with a skateboard swung in the most lethal way possible; and that Grosskreutz was aiming a loaded gun at Kyle's head when Kyle disabled his gun arm.

On those facts, all elicited during the prosecution's case, the defense should move for a directed verdict, ending the case immediately.  To continue would be an even greater travesty of justice.

Image: Gaige Grosskreutz.

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