Kyle Rittenhouse Found Not Guilty, but Other Lawsuits After Deadly Shooting During BLM Protest Not Over

Kyle Rittenhouse Lawsuit Overview:

• Who: Kyle Rittenhouse was found “not guilty” of charges, including homicide, in a criminal trial.
• Why: Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two people and wounded others during a 2020 protest, successfully convinced a jury that he acted in self-defense.
• Where: The protest, held days after a Black man was shot by a white police officer, as well as the Rittenhouse criminal trial, occurred in Kenosha, Wis.

Kyle Rittenhouse, accused of shooting two men dead and wounding others during a BLM protest, has been found not guilty on charges of homicide, successfully convincing a jury in his criminal case that he acted in self-defense.  

The deadly shooting, perpetrated by Rittenhouse, a white 17-year-old with an illegal AR-15-style rifle, ignited issues of white privilege, gun rights, and self-defense. While the criminal trial is over, other legal action questioning the actions of police before, during, and after the fatal shooting is still pending.  

Indeed, one of the protesters, Gaige Grosskreutz, who survived being shot by Rittenhouse has filed a lawsuit against the Kenosha police department, as well as the city, county, and various other officials.  

“It was not a mistake that Kyle Rittenhouse would kill two people and maim a third on that evening,” the lawsuit states. “It was a natural consequence of the actions of the Kenosha Police Department and Kenosha Sheriff’s office in deputizing a roving militia to ‘protect property and ‘assist in maintaining order.'” 

Grosskreutz does not name Rittenhouse in his complaint lodged in federal court. Instead, he accuses Kenosha police and other city officials of violating the constitutional rights of the BLM protesters by encouraging Rittenhouse and other “white nationalist militia persons” to act as vigilantes during the demonstration.  

Other BLM Class Action Lawsuits 

In other cases, protesters have lodged complaints against police departments involved in other BLM demonstrations.  

Recently, a California judge rejected the city of San Jose’s attempts to dismiss a class action lawsuit lodged over the city’s alleged civil rights violations during Black Lives Matter demonstrations during the summer of 2020. 

Earlier this year, the NYPD was accused of using excessive force during a 2020 BLM demonstration, beating protestors, throwing them to the ground, and using pepper spray indiscriminately. 

What do you think of the Rittenhouse verdict? Do you think the police should have done more? Tell us in the comment section below! 

Grosskreutz is represented by Kimberley Cy. Motley of Motley Legal Services and E. Milo Schwab of Ascend Counsel, LLC.

The Kenosha Police Department Lawsuit is Grosskreutz v. The City of Kenosha, et al., Case No. 2:21-cv-01192-LA in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

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