In a shocking move on Wednesday, the defense for Kyle Rittenhouse called the 18-year-old to the stand just a day after the prosecution rested its case. But, it was when defense attorney Mike Richards asked about his interactions with convicted pedophile Joseph Rosenbaum prior to shooting and killing him in Kenosha, later in the evening on August 25.
“During the evening, was there any friction between your group and protesters/rioters?” Richards asked Rittenhouse.
“No,” Rittenhouse responded. “The only kind of stuff that happened was the person that attacked me first threatened to kill me twice.”
“And the person who threatened to kill you we now know as Mr. Rosenbaum, correct?” Richards followed up.
“Yes,” Rittenhouse answered.
Rittenhouse then admitted that he had never seen Rosenbaum before the night of August 25 before being asked about the specifics of the threats levied to him by Rosenbaum.
“You said he threatened to kill you twice?” Richards asked.
“Yes,” replied Rittenhouse.
“Describe the first time,” Richards requested.
The first time was me and Ryan Balch were a little north towards the north corner of 59th and Sheridan. And Mr. Rosenbaum was walking with a steel chain and he had a blue mask around his face. And he was just mad about something. Me and Mr. Balch were asking people if they needed medical help and [Rosenbaum] scream — and sorry for my language — he screamed, ‘If I catch any of you f**kers alone, I’m going to f**king kill you.’
Rittenhouse was then asked by Richards to describe the second time Rosenbaum threatened to kill him.
The second time was outside of the Car Source. And I don’t if it was directed towards me, but I heard it. He said, I believe it was to Joann Fiedler, Dustin Collette and another guy, he was screaming. He said, ‘I’m going to cut your f**king hearts out, and kill’ — I’m not going to repeat the second word — but, ‘kill you n-words.’
For video of this specific portion of Rittenhouse’s testimony, watch below: