Teen in protest gunfire to be extradited
WAUKEGAN, Ill. — An Illinois judge Friday ordered a 17-year-old accused of killing two demonstrators in Kenosha, Wis., to be extradited across the border to stand trial on homicide charges, saying it wasn’t his role to vet a case filed by Wisconsin protesters and approved by a Wisconsin judge.
In his six-page written ruling rejecting Kyle Rittenhouse’s bid to remain in Illinois, Judge Paul Novak noted that defense attorneys had characterized the Wisconsin charges as politically motivated.
“This Illinois court shall not examine any potential political impact a Wisconsin District Attorney potentially considered in his charging decision,” Novak wrote.
The shootings happened Aug. 25, two days after a white police officer trying to arrest Jacob Blake shot the 29-yearold Black man seven times in the back, paralyzing him from the waist down. Video of the police shooting sparked public protests.
In Wisconsin, Rittenhouse faces a first-degree intentional homicide charge. He is also charged with attempted intentional homicide and a misdemeanor charge of underage firearm possession. His lawyers have argued that he was acting in self-defense.
According to prosecutors and court documents, Rittenhouse is accused of killing 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum of Kenosha after Rosenbaum threw a plastic bag at Rittenhouse and tried to wrestle his rifle away.
Video shows that Rittenhouse tripped. As he was on the ground, Anthony Huber, 26, of Silver Lake, hit him with a skateboard and tried to take his rifle. Rittenhouse opened fire, killing Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz of West Allis, who was holding a handgun.