Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand Wednesday to testify in his own trial after consulting his attorneys but soon got emotional and burst into tears as he detailed how he was forced to fire at his three victims.
“I went down there to provide first aid,” Rittenhouse told the court adding that he heard people insulting him and his group as he headed to extinguish a car lot that took fire.
“I reply with ‘Friendly, friendly, friendly to let them know hey, I’m just here to help, I don’t want any problems. I just want to put out the fires if there are any.”
“As I’m walking towards to put out the fire, I dropped the fire extinguisher and I take a step back. My plan was to get out of that situation.”
One of the his victims, Joseph Rosenbaum, was approaching him, running, he said. He then broke into tears as he recalled being cornered.
The presiding judge ordered a recess before resuming Rittenhouse’s testimony. The defendant then started with Rosenbaum charging, throwing a heavy object at him before the then 17-year-old pointed his rifle at the man without succeeding to make him back up.
“I remember his hand on the barrel of my gun,” Rittenhouse said. “I shot him. I had to shoot him.”
At the end of his statements, Rittenhouse described how he was “just attacked, freaking out, his head spinning” as he tried to surrender.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I was defending myself,” he said.
