Rittenhouse trial: Prosecution rests case after 5 1/2 days of testimony
KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The state finished presenting its case in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial Tuesday, Nov. 9, and the defense started calling witnesses.
Day seven of the trial on Tuesday, Nov. 9, revealed a new perspective of one of the three shootings the jury is focused on.
Drone video played for jurors showing the moment that Rittenhouse shot Joseph Rosenbaum, the first person killed during a night of turbulent protests on the streets of Kenosha.
The video was zoomed in and slowed down by a forensic imaging specialist at the state crime lab. It shows Rosenbaum following Rittenhouse before Rittenhouse suddenly spins around and fires at him at close range.
The prosecution and defense were made aware of the video on Friday, and the state crime lab began analysis of it on Sunday.
It's the clearest and most steady video of that shooting that has been seen to this point. The jury watched it right before Dr. Doug Kelley took the stand.
"Mr. Rosenbaum died from multiple gunshot wounds," said Kelley.
Dr. Kelley testified that Joseph Rosenbaum was shot at close range four times, and the fatal shot to the back was the third or fourth shot. The defense argues Rosenbaum was charging at Rittenhouse, trying to take his gun.
Defense attorney Mark Richards: "The position of lunging would put you in the horizontal position correct?"
Dr. Kelley: "Correct."
The state argues Rosenbaum was already wounded when the fatal shot was fired.
Prosecutor James Kraus: "Could the injuries also be consistent with falling after being shot in the hip?"
Dr. Kelley: "Yes...that's possible too."
Dr. Kelley says both state & defense theories are possible.
— Kristen Barbaresi (@KristenBarbar) November 9, 2021
Shot to back could be bc Rosenbaum was falling after he was shot in the groin/pelvis (state's argument)
Shot to the back could be bc Rosenbaum was lunging at Rittenhouse (defense's argument)
Dr. Kelley was the state's final witness.
The defense started its case by calling Nicholas Smith and JoAnn Fiedler, who were protecting businesses with Rittenhouse that night.
"Rosenbaum started shouting back at us, pardon me judge for saying this, he was going to kill us mother [expletive]," said Fiedler.
Both testified about Rittenhouse's behavior immediately after the shootings.
"He just says I just shot someone, over and over. And I believe at some point he says he had to do it," Smith said.
"He sat down, I remember him pulling his hair back and he was pulling back really hard, and just his comment was, 'Oh my God my life might be over,'" said Feidler.
On cross examination, the prosecution questioned both witnesses about whether or not guns were necessary that night.
Prosecutor Thomas Binger: "Was there ever a time on August 25 that you saw a situation where you felt it was necessary to use a gun?"
Smith: "No."
Binger: "You weren't planning to fire it to protect property were you?
Feidler: "No."
Rittenhouse was 17 when he traveled to Kenosha with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle and a medical kit in what he said was an effort to safeguard property from the sometimes-violent demonstrations that broke out over the shooting of a Black man by a white Kenosha police officer.
He faces life in prison on the most serious charge.