Lin Wood, the high-profile lawyer who represents Kentucky student Nick Sandmann, will defend Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who was charged with killing two people during the riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
DailyMail.com reported a legal defense fund has been established by supporters who vow to “obtain justice” for him.
Wood represented Richard Jewell, the security guard accused in the Atlanta bombing during the 1996 Olympics. Other high-profile clients include John and Patsy Ramsey, the parents of JonBenét Ramsey; Congressman Gary Condit; and the alleged victim in the Kobe Bryant case.
Prosecutors in Kenosha County have charged Rittenhouse with first-degree intentional homicide, reckless homicide and attempted homicide.
Viral cellphone video of the incident, however, showed one of the rioters had a handgun and fired first, indicating Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense.
Rittenhouse, armed with an AR-15 style rifle, was volunteering to defend properties from rioters who had been burning buildings and cars when the two were involved in a confrontation.
Wood wrote on Twitter: “Thanks to ALL Freedom Loving Americans who responded to requests for contact information on Kyle Rittenhouse. We have connected with Kyle’s family & help is on the way. Kyle will have excellent legal representation. We owe him a legal defense.”
She said donations for his defense should be made to #FightBack Foundation, Inc., a Texas 501(c)(4) Foundation.
Wood represents Sandmann, the former Covington Catholic High School student, in his lawsuit againts the Washington Post and CNN for portraying him as a racist in their coverage of his stand-off with a Native American protester last year.
DailyMail.com reported the video shows Rittenhouse being “chased into a used car lot by someone before shots are heard and the person lies dead.”
The video shows the shooter running and then stumbling after being confronted by other people. A man apparently reaches for Rittenhouse and is shot, and another nearby is injured.
The dead were identified as Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, of Kenosha, and Anthony Huber, 26, of Silver Lake, about 15 miles west of the city.
Video also showed Rittenhouse walking toward police in their patrol vehicles with his hands up. The officers drove past him to the injured.
The Western Journal noted the videos on social media make it difficult to precisely document what happened because of the lack of quality and the disjointed sequence.
“However, witnesses and videos all indicate that Rittenhouse was being chased through the streets and at one point went down to the ground, whether because he fell or was pushed,” the report said.
Wood tweeted: “The line in the sand has been crossed. If Kyle cannot defend himself under the circumstances shown in videos, we are all at risk.”
The New York Times’ Visual Investigations team examined numerous video clips in an effort to track Rittenhouse’s movements Tuesday night.
The Times said it synchronized six livestreams available of the events, “which revealed that there were two separate shooting incidents, about one and a half minutes apart, involving multiple gunmen.”
A shot fired – not from Rittenhouse – and then Rittenhouse “turns toward the sound of the gunfire as another pursuer lunges toward him. He then fires four times with his assault rifle, and appears to shoot the man in the head.”
The second shooting happened a minute later.
“While fleeing from the scene, Rittenhouse is again chased by several people. He trips and falls to the ground and fires four shots as three people rush him. One person appears to be hit in the chest, while another, who is carrying a handgun, is hit in the arm,” the Times reported.
An eyewitness said the gunman appeared to have been knocked to the ground, then flipped over and fired from the ground.
