Kyle Rittenhouse shot three attackers who mobbed him during a leftist riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 25, 2020. Two of the three are no more. He was cleared of all charges in 2021.
Despite being found not guilty by a jury of his peers, Rittenhouse has since had to fight various efforts to paint him as a villain and to punish him for defending himself.
The most recent attempt comes in the form of a civil lawsuit filed by the convicted child molester Joseph Rosenbaum’s estate Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Texas Scorecard reported that the suit names Rittenhouse as a defendant along with local sheriff’s departments, Kenosha officials, the City of Kenosha, the City of West Allis, and various counties, demanding “compensatory and punitive damages” for the “wrongful death” of Rosenbaum.
The Washington Post noted that Rosenbaum spent most of his adult life in prison after preying upon five preteen boys.
It appears his life on the outside was marked by rage and rootlessness. For instance, one month prior to his demise, Rosenbaum’s fiancée, Kariann Swart, pressed charges against him for domestic abuse.
Just hours before catching four bullets, the homeless and bipolar 36-year-old had been released from a hospital following a suicide attempt, reported NPR.
Fresh out of the hospital, Rosenbaum joined in the destructive riots that kicked off in response to the non-fatal police shooting of Jacob Blake, whom state prosecutors indicated had been wanted on a felony warrant and was armed with a knife.
Rittenhouse’s lawyers claimed during his murder trial that Rosenbaum attempted to “engage” the youth, at which point Rittenhouse attempted to flee. Rosenbaum gave chase, threw a sack of belongings at him, then, according to witness testimony, attempted to disarm the then-17-year-old by force.
Footage of the incident shows that it was only when the 17-year-old appeared cornered in a car lot did he opened fire.
In addition to claiming Rosenbaum was a peaceful protester who “was not a danger to himself or others,” the Rosenbaum estate cast Rittenhouse in the lawsuit as a menace who “fired his assault rifle indiscriminately multiple times,” despite the 17-year-old’s documented restraint and sure aim.
While Rosenbaum can be seen on film chasing down the boy, the suit alleges that “there was no justification for Defendant Rittenhouse to point his weapon at Joseph Rosenbaum.”
On X, Rittenhouse wrote, “I’m being sued again for defending my life.”
Rittenhouse, now 20 and living in Texas, told Texas Scorecard, “These lawsuits are making it harder and harder for me to move on with my life.”
“It is extremely difficult to go outside without fear of being harassed or assaulted because of the lies spread in these lawsuits,” continued Rittenhouse.
“No one should have to continue to defend the fact that they acted in self-defense.”
This is an excerpt from The Blaze.
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