With the liberal media claiming 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was a “murderer” who shot “unarmed” “protesters” in a supposed rampage through Kenosha, Wisconsin last Tuesday, someone had to set the record straight. And in a Monday appearance on Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson Tonight, Rittenhouse’s lawyer, John Pierce blew up their lies and smears with evidence backed up by a New York Times “visual investigation” and with video widely accessible online.
Making the case for how “this is 100 percent self-defense,” Pierce started where many on the liberal media vaguely reference: how his client was running for his life from a mob of leftist radicals who wanted to kill him, before any shots were fired.
After noting that Rittenhouse had helped to clean up graffiti earlier in the day and was asked to help protect a local business (and was not part of militia as the media initially lied about), Pierce detailed how a moving of the police line left his client stranded and subject the villainous hands of the rioters:
Kyle actually took a first aid kit downtown because he was concerned that there would be wounded protesters downtown. And, in fact, he took a firearm because Kenosha had become a war zone. Any sensible person would take that. And him and his friends stayed on the process and protected that property. And then some events started to unfold whereby he was trying to treat, medically, wounded protesters. And ultimately, he got trapped out on the street out in the open because the riot police had moved the line far enough down that they were between himself and that premises.
Pierce then expertly dismantled the claim his client broke the law by possessing an AR-15-style rifle. “Wisconsin is an open-carry state. That charge is incorrect as a matter of state law. As a 17-year-old, he was legally entitled to have that firearm in his possession.” He also noted the “firearm never crossed state lines,” which was another false claim by the media.
Carlson steered his guest to answer a question about what led to the first shot to be fired at convicted pedophile Joseph Rosenbaum, striking him in the head and killing him. Citing the New York Times report, Pierce recalled how Rosenbaum was leading the mob in the “hunting” of Rittenhouse, threatening his life (Click “expand”):
PEIRCE: There was a shot that was fired as Kyle was retreating, actually, from a mob that had become enraged that he was trying to put out fires that the arsonist had set, and because he was trying to protect property. The mob became enraged. They began screaming that Kyle needed to be killed and they were going to kill him. They started relentlessly hunting him as pray as he ran down the street attempting to retreat.
As he ran out of room to retreat, a shot was fired from behind him. The New York Times has clearly shown that. Shortly after that, the individual, Mr. Rosenbaum, who was leading the attack on him, set upon him immediately, began to assault him from behind, attempted to take his weapon, take his firearm, and Kyle, when he turned, he instantaneously had no choice but to defend himself by firing, because he was in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.
Piece pointed to video evidence which showed how his client’s first instinct, after shooting Rosenbaum, was to attempt to render aid. But that was halted after the mob “began saying that he needs to be ‘cranium-ed,’ that he – essentially he needed to be killed.” So, Rittenhouse took off, leaving Daily Caller video director Richie McGinniss to do it.
The recounting continued as Pierce talked about how Rittenhouse tried to make his way back to the police line for safety. During the pursuit, the 17-year-old fell to the ground and three individuals were immediately on top of him. One of them then brandished a Glock and thus forced his hand (Click “expand”):
Again, the mob relentlessly and viciously pursued him and he was struck as he was running from behind by one of the rioters. He tripped and fell to the ground and then one of the rioters was right over him with a Glock. The other one was attempting and both of them were attempting to disarm him to take his AR-15. He was successful in being able to fight that off and he had no choice but to then immediately defend himself. He was at fear of serious bodily harm or death. He fired and disarmed the individual who had the Glock by hitting him in the arm. He shot and killed the other person who was attacking him.
Both Pierce and Carlson marveled at Rittenhouse’s trigger discipline, only firing what he need to and not shooting randomly:
PIERCE: And I got to tell you, one thing, if you really think about this, Tucker, in this war zone, in this chaos that is occurring in the city in America in the middle of Wisconsin, Kyle, the only individuals that Kyle shot where the three individuals that were attacking him and putting him at risk of serious bodily harm or death. This is a 17-year-old kid. This is amazing.
CARLSON: So let me ask you this – And I think that’s a fair point. He didn’t shoot indiscriminately.
As the segment came to a close, both Carlson and Pierce sat dumbfounded as to why Rittenhouse was charged with a crime while the rioters destroying the city were getting off Scot-free. Both of them deduced that what was happening to the country was “sickening.”
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson Tonight
August 31, 2020
8:33:05 p.m. EasternTUCKER CARLSON: A 17-year-old called Kyle Rittenhouse has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder for shootings that took place in Kenosha, Wisconsin recently. There's a lot of confusion about what exactly happened. But in at least two of the shootings, video shows Rittenhouse running away, being attacked, and then fired.
What does this add up to? Well, some on the left don’t want to know. Antifa, according to accounts online, is trying to figure out what cell Rittenhouse is being held in. Presumably, so they can kill him.
So, what’s the state of the case? What will Rittenhouse’s lawyers argue when it does go to court? To find out, we’re speaking tonight to John Peirce, he’s representing Kyle Rittenhouse. He’s from the firm Peirce, Bainbridge. And we’re happy to have him on tonight. Mr. Peirce, thanks so much for coming on.
JOHN PEIRCE: Hi, tucker. Thank you so much for having us to get the true story out of what happened in Kenosha.
CARLSON: Well, I'm eager to know. Cause, this is one of those stories that obviously has intense partisan interest and there’s a lot of confusing video. But what is, broadly speaking, the defense that you will mount on behave of Kyle Rittenhouse?
PEIRCE: This is 100 percent self-defense, Tucker. Kyle, he’s a good kid, he’s a lifeguard. Kenosha was burning down.
Actually, when he got done with work that day, went to the high school with some friends to try to remove some graffiti. After that, they got a call from a local business person, who owns three businesses in downtown Kenosha. Two of those businesses had been burnt to the ground. And this business owner simply wanted to desperately protect what was left of his life's work so he asked for help. Kyle and his friends decided that nobody was doing anything to protect that community. And they decided that they would answer that call and help to protect that business.
Kyle actually took a first aid kit downtown because he was concerned that there would be wounded protesters downtown. And, in fact, he took a firearm because Kenosha had become a war zone. Any sensible person would take that. And him and his friends stayed on the process and protected that property. And then some events started to unfold whereby he was trying to treat, medically, wounded protesters. And ultimately, he got trapped out on the street out in the open because the riot police had moved the line far enough down that they were between himself and that premises.
CARLSON: So, I have read that he brought a firearm as a juvenile, 17, across state lines. A lot of people--
PEIRCE: That is incorrect.
CARLSON: That is incorrect? Tell us where the gun came from.
PEIRCE: That is incorrect. That is incorrect. That firearm never crossed state lines. That is a legal firearm in the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin is an open-carry state. That charge is incorrect as a matter of state law. As a 17-year-old, he was legally entitled to have that firearm in his possession. Moreover, we are going to be arguing that the Second Amendment and Title Ten, section 246 of the United States Code, renders that charge and any ordinance that that charge will be based on, blatantly unconstitutional under these circumstances.
CARLSON: Right. And that's really a tertiary charge cause there are other[s]. Let me ask you about the first shooting, of Joseph Rosenbaum. The second two, one man was shot in the arm, the other shot in the midsection and died. Both of them clearly -- it’s obvious on the video -- attacked Rittenhouse.
But the first shooting. Was Rittenhouse fired upon before he fired? Did he believe he was fired upon? What were the circumstances of that shooting?
PEIRCE: Absolutely. The New York Times has a report and has analyzed this very closely.
There was a shot that was fired as Kyle was retreating, actually, from a mob that had become enraged that he was trying to put out fires that the arsonist had set, and because he was trying to protect property. The mob became enraged. They began screaming that Kyle needed to be killed and they were going to kill him. They started relentlessly hunting him as pray as he ran down the street attempting to retreat.
As he ran out of room to retreat, a shot was fired from behind him. The New York Times has clearly shown that. Shortly after that, the individual, Mr. Rosenbaum, who was leading the attack on him, set upon him immediately, began to assault him from behind, attempted to take his weapon, take his firearm, and Kyle, when he turned, he instantaneously had no choice but to defend himself by firing, because he was in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.
CARLSON: So, that was the first shooting. So, that happened--
PEIRCE: Correct.
CARLSON: -- he called a friend on the home and said “I think I have killed someone.” And then he begins to run.
PEIRCE: Actually—
CARLSON: Oh, I’m sorry.
PEIRCE: Let me clarify. Let me clarify that. So actually, Kyle actually attempted to stop and to check on the individual who had been shot. He did make a call to his friend. He said to his friend that he had shot someone. He immediately had to retreat from that area because the mob, the rioters that were chasing him, who had witnessed this, immediately called him out for the shooting. Which, of course, was in self-defense but they called him out for the shooting. They began saying that he needs to be cranium-ed, that he – essentially he needed to be killed. So, he retreated back down the street. He began running down the police line to try to get to safety.
Again, the mob relentlessly and viciously pursued him and he was struck as he was running from behind by one of the rioters. He tripped and fell to the ground and then one of the rioters was right over him with a Glock. The other one was attempting and both of them were attempting to disarm him to take his AR-15. He was successful in being able to fight that off and he had no choice but to then immediately defend himself. He was at fear of serious bodily harm or death. He fired and disarmed the individual who had the Glock by hitting him in the arm. He shot and killed the other person who was attacking him.
And I got to tell you, one thing, if you really think about this, Tucker, in this war zone, in this chaos that is occurring in the city in America in the middle of Wisconsin, Kyle, the only individuals that Kyle shot where the three individuals that were attacking him and putting him at risk of serious bodily harm or death. This is a 17-year-old kid. This is amazing.
CARLSON: So let me ask you this – And I think that’s a fair point. He didn’t shoot indiscriminately. And I’m taking your word for it in the first one because I haven’t seen the video.
But in the second two, I have seen the video. One guy attacked and the other guy was pointing a gun at him.
PIECE: That’s right.
CARLSON: Here's my question. He shot that man in the arm and the man backed off. That man survived. That man has not been charged. He came at a 17-year-old with a gun. Why has he not been charged?
PEIRCE: So, here's the question that I have, Tucker. Where are the charges for aggravated assault against Kyle Rittenhouse? Where are the charges for arson in our cities? Where are the charges for rioting? Where are the charges for crossing state lines? And where are the charges against the people who are funding this activity and who are financing it? And why is Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old lifeguard who was attempting to protect the businesses in his community, attempting to help wounded protesters, and was protecting his own life while Kenosha was burning; why is he the one sitting in jail tonight as forces within this country sickeningly attempt to find a way to bring harm to him while he is in detention?
CARLSON: It is sickening. Mr. Pierce, thanks for coming on tonight and giving your side of this, which has not been heard. I haven't heard it anyway, so appreciate it.
PIERCE: Thank you for letting us tell the truth here, Tucker. I really appreciate it.
