The people of Kenosha made the right choice today, freeing someone who did nothing criminal, up against overwhelming pressure.
It doesn't matter any culture war stuff. It's about the right thing for the facts and the lawz and they made the right choice.
It doesn't matter any culture war stuff. It's about the right thing for the facts and the lawz and they made the right choice.
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For those who may not know, here are the facts as they came out at trial, as I recall them. I may have some details off.
Kyle lives 22 miles away from Kenosha.
Kyles father lived in Kenosha. His grandmother lived in Kenosha. His best friend lives in Kenosha. He lived in Kenosha for a while with his dad.
Kyle worked in Kenosha as a life guard. He was in Kenosha in part because he worked there as a life guard. His job in his home city had been furloughed due to covid.
Kyle drove himself to Kenosha that day without a driver's license. I bet he's got a ticket incoming.
The gun was purchased in Kenosha and stored in Kenosha by its lawful owner. Kyle wanted the gun for target shooting but could not legally buy or own the gun, so he gave the money to another person who legally owned the gun and stored it at their home in Kenosha with the intent of doing a "private sale" when kyle turned 18 to make it legally Kyle's. The gun was a .223 caliber, which is not a large bore rifle. .223 is among the smaller bore bullets commonly available. The night of the incident, the lawful owner took the gun out of its storage safe in Kenosha and gave it to kyle.
As a matter of law, Kyle was legally allowed to possess the gun under state law. The law he was charged under prohibited people under 18 from possessing short barrel shotguns or short barrel rifles. He was not carrying a short barrel shotgun or a short barrel rifle. It was a standard hunting and target rifle.
Kyle was asked first by someone to help drive to Chicago to buy body armor. Kyle had previously volunteered as a police cadet thing and so was given body armor by the police department, he left it in the trunk of his car for lack of a better place to put it. Instead of driving to Chicago he gave the body armor he had to this individual.
His friend and him decided to help with protecting some businesses in town after his friend was asked to help and his friend asked him to come too.
He purchased a strap for his gun the day of the event to keep his hands free.
The business to be protected was owned by east Indian immigrants.
That night there were 3 lots to be protected. The people were split up to defend each lot. I don't think they had much of a plan on how to defend anything except to just be human scarecrows.
The rioters were using chemical weapons that night -- bombs made with bleach and ammonia that produced tear gas. The people defending the business were hit with those bombs. To be clear, as far as I can tell, they weren't explosives or anything, just bags that mixed bleach and ammonia when thrown. The bombs were utilized prior to any shots fired.
One of the rioters who was fatally shot later screamed death threats to those protecting the businesses including kyle. This was prior to any incidents.
Prior to the event, Kyle was presenting himself as an EMT or emergency medical tech. He does have advanced first aid certification but he is not a certified EMT. He did complete some first aid that night, assisting a woman who harmed her ankle.
The rioters were setting fires all over the place, and were destroying parked cars everywhere. This was most definitely a riot, not a protest. Similar actions occur when a sports team wins or loses as well.
The rioters set a dumpster on fire and were rolling it towards a gas station when kyle put the fire out.
One of the assailants shot a gun in the air behind Kyle. Shortly after the angry rioter from before who threatened those protecting the business came at kyle. Kyle ran from the assailant a substantial distance yelling "friendly friendly friendly". The assailant closed the distance and was reaching for Kyle's gun. Kyle shot 4 times. Some of the bullets ended up in his back because he fell forward as he lunged.
Kyle immediately retreated, walking towards the police line. The crowd decided he had to die. Kyle was knocked down. One man jump kicked kyle. Kyle shot at him after the jump kick but only grazed him. jump kick man retreated and survived the encounter. One man tried to hit him with a skateboard while he was on the ground. Kyle shot the man after being attacked and hit him, killing him. A man named Gaige approached him with a hidden firearm. He did not have a valid concealed carry permit. Gaige approached Kyle, pretended to surrender, then turned the gun towards kyle. When the guy was lunging towards kyle and pointed the gun at him, Kyle shot the man, destroying his bicep. Gaige himself told us this on the stand. Gaige was not the "sole survivor", jump kick man as he's been named survived without any injuries as far as anyone knows.
The first attacker who died was white. Jump kick man is alleged to be black. Skateboard man who died was white. Gaige who lost his bicep is white.
After this, kyle went directly to the police and tried to turn himself in. The police told him to leave or they'd peppers pray him. He went home to his mother and after about an hour turned himself in to police.
Kyle shot at 4 people, after he had been attacked, or before he was about to be attacked with lethal force.
The law says that just being scary isn't provocation. Provocation requires an unlawful act intended to incite that immediately causes retaliation.
It does not matter what Kyle's politics are. It does not matter what any of the assailants politics are. It does not matter what the history of the assailants was. All that matters is that Kyle was reasonably in fear of his life and took the actions he needed to protect his life. He had no duty to retreat under the law but he was retreating the whole time. He obviously has ptsd from being attacked and is being treated by a therapist for ptsd.
Under these facts, he probably could be fined for driving without a license that day and for saying he's an EMT without being licensed as one, but put anyone else in that situation, and they'd do the same. Kyle was about to die 4 times. He shot at 4 people, and whether the assailant died, was unharmed, or was unarmed, pulling the trigger successfully protected his life.
Kyle lives 22 miles away from Kenosha.
Kyles father lived in Kenosha. His grandmother lived in Kenosha. His best friend lives in Kenosha. He lived in Kenosha for a while with his dad.
Kyle worked in Kenosha as a life guard. He was in Kenosha in part because he worked there as a life guard. His job in his home city had been furloughed due to covid.
Kyle drove himself to Kenosha that day without a driver's license. I bet he's got a ticket incoming.
The gun was purchased in Kenosha and stored in Kenosha by its lawful owner. Kyle wanted the gun for target shooting but could not legally buy or own the gun, so he gave the money to another person who legally owned the gun and stored it at their home in Kenosha with the intent of doing a "private sale" when kyle turned 18 to make it legally Kyle's. The gun was a .223 caliber, which is not a large bore rifle. .223 is among the smaller bore bullets commonly available. The night of the incident, the lawful owner took the gun out of its storage safe in Kenosha and gave it to kyle.
As a matter of law, Kyle was legally allowed to possess the gun under state law. The law he was charged under prohibited people under 18 from possessing short barrel shotguns or short barrel rifles. He was not carrying a short barrel shotgun or a short barrel rifle. It was a standard hunting and target rifle.
Kyle was asked first by someone to help drive to Chicago to buy body armor. Kyle had previously volunteered as a police cadet thing and so was given body armor by the police department, he left it in the trunk of his car for lack of a better place to put it. Instead of driving to Chicago he gave the body armor he had to this individual.
His friend and him decided to help with protecting some businesses in town after his friend was asked to help and his friend asked him to come too.
He purchased a strap for his gun the day of the event to keep his hands free.
The business to be protected was owned by east Indian immigrants.
That night there were 3 lots to be protected. The people were split up to defend each lot. I don't think they had much of a plan on how to defend anything except to just be human scarecrows.
The rioters were using chemical weapons that night -- bombs made with bleach and ammonia that produced tear gas. The people defending the business were hit with those bombs. To be clear, as far as I can tell, they weren't explosives or anything, just bags that mixed bleach and ammonia when thrown. The bombs were utilized prior to any shots fired.
One of the rioters who was fatally shot later screamed death threats to those protecting the businesses including kyle. This was prior to any incidents.
Prior to the event, Kyle was presenting himself as an EMT or emergency medical tech. He does have advanced first aid certification but he is not a certified EMT. He did complete some first aid that night, assisting a woman who harmed her ankle.
The rioters were setting fires all over the place, and were destroying parked cars everywhere. This was most definitely a riot, not a protest. Similar actions occur when a sports team wins or loses as well.
The rioters set a dumpster on fire and were rolling it towards a gas station when kyle put the fire out.
One of the assailants shot a gun in the air behind Kyle. Shortly after the angry rioter from before who threatened those protecting the business came at kyle. Kyle ran from the assailant a substantial distance yelling "friendly friendly friendly". The assailant closed the distance and was reaching for Kyle's gun. Kyle shot 4 times. Some of the bullets ended up in his back because he fell forward as he lunged.
Kyle immediately retreated, walking towards the police line. The crowd decided he had to die. Kyle was knocked down. One man jump kicked kyle. Kyle shot at him after the jump kick but only grazed him. jump kick man retreated and survived the encounter. One man tried to hit him with a skateboard while he was on the ground. Kyle shot the man after being attacked and hit him, killing him. A man named Gaige approached him with a hidden firearm. He did not have a valid concealed carry permit. Gaige approached Kyle, pretended to surrender, then turned the gun towards kyle. When the guy was lunging towards kyle and pointed the gun at him, Kyle shot the man, destroying his bicep. Gaige himself told us this on the stand. Gaige was not the "sole survivor", jump kick man as he's been named survived without any injuries as far as anyone knows.
The first attacker who died was white. Jump kick man is alleged to be black. Skateboard man who died was white. Gaige who lost his bicep is white.
After this, kyle went directly to the police and tried to turn himself in. The police told him to leave or they'd peppers pray him. He went home to his mother and after about an hour turned himself in to police.
Kyle shot at 4 people, after he had been attacked, or before he was about to be attacked with lethal force.
The law says that just being scary isn't provocation. Provocation requires an unlawful act intended to incite that immediately causes retaliation.
It does not matter what Kyle's politics are. It does not matter what any of the assailants politics are. It does not matter what the history of the assailants was. All that matters is that Kyle was reasonably in fear of his life and took the actions he needed to protect his life. He had no duty to retreat under the law but he was retreating the whole time. He obviously has ptsd from being attacked and is being treated by a therapist for ptsd.
Under these facts, he probably could be fined for driving without a license that day and for saying he's an EMT without being licensed as one, but put anyone else in that situation, and they'd do the same. Kyle was about to die 4 times. He shot at 4 people, and whether the assailant died, was unharmed, or was unarmed, pulling the trigger successfully protected his life.