Kyle Rittenhouse sobs in court as he testifies in own defence during murder trial

Kyle Rittenhouse, who at 17 shot and killed two men during civil unrest in the US last year, openly wept in court as he made his defence.

Kyle Rittenhouse sobbed uncontrollably and struggled to get out words as he testified Wednesday about the moments leading up to shooting the first man that he killed during last year’s unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin — and he explained that he tried to flag down police afterwards, saying he “shot somebody”.

Rittenhouse, 18, broke down on the stand after he started to explain that he was “cornered” outside one of the car businesses that he was defending from violent protesters before he fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, on Aug. 25, 2020, the New York Post reports.

“That’s when I run,” Rittenhouse said, before becoming too overcome with emotion to continue.

The emotionally-charged testimony prompted Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder to call a recess for 10 minutes, as Rittenhouse’s mother also cried in the gallery.

Under cross-examination, Rittenhouse was defiant that he didn’t intend to kill any of the three victims.

“I didn’t intend to kill them. I intended to stop the people who were attacking me,” Rittenhouse told jurors. “I did what I had to do to stop the person who was attacking me by killing them.”

After killing Rosenbaum, Rittenhouse fatally shot Anthony Huber, 26, then wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 27.

Kyle Rittenhouse is testifying in his own defence at his murder trial..

Rittenhouse testified that after fatally shooting Rosenbaum, he approached a man on a street for help and told him that he just shot someone.

“I remember telling him that I just shot somebody and I need help to get to the police because there … was now a crowded mob chasing me,” he said.

Asked by defence lawyer Mark Richards why he wanted to go to the police, he said that he believed he “didn’t do anything wrong”

“I defended myself,” he said.

Rittenhouse, who was wearing a navy suit and matching tie, testified that Rosenbaum had threatened to kill him twice the night of the triple shooting.

“He screamed, ‘If I catch any of you alone, I’m going to f***ing kill you,’” Rittenhouse told the jurors.

He claimed that Rosenbaum was walking with a steel chain and appeared to be “mad about something.”

“I saw him tip that trailer over,” Rittenhouse said, adding that he also believes he saw him try to set a Port-a-Potty on fire.

Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand on Day 7 of his murder trial..

Rittenhouse said that later, outside one of the car businesses he was defending, he heard Rosenbaum say, “I’m going to cut your f***ing hearts out.”

“And I’m not going to repeat the second word, but ‘kill you N-words,’” Rittenhouse said.

After hearing a shot fired directly behind him, Rittenhouse claimed that he turned around to find Rosenbaum charging at him with his hands out in front.

“I remember his hand on the barrel of my gun,” Rittenhouse said.

Rittenhouse testified that he shot him what he believes was four times — and lingered around his body before other people began shouting, “Get his a**, get his a** and get him.”

While running through the streets, his second victim, Huber, struck him twice with a skateboard then tried to grab the rifle strapped to his body, he said.

“He grabs my gun and I can feel it pulling away from me,” he said, adding that he felt “the strap starting to come off my body.”

“What did you do then?” his lawyer asked. “I shot him,” Rittenhouse replied.

Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha on August 25, 2020. Picture: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Anthony Huber.

Rittenhouse said when he lowered his weapon, his third victim, Grosskreutz, “lunges at me with his pistol pointed directly at my head” and he shot him too.

Rittenhouse was 17 when he brought a semiautomatic rifle and a medical kit to Kenosha in what he claims was an effort to protect businesses as riots broke out on Aug. 25, 2020, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man who was left paralysed from the waist down.

He faces six criminal charges, including intentional homicide for the fatal shootings.

If convicted of the top charge, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

Kyle Rittenhouse’s mother looks on as her son testifies during his trial.

Wednesday’s testimony was disrupted by a fiery exchange between Judge Schroeder and lead prosecutor, Thomas Binger.

Schroeder blasted Binger for improperly trying to introduce testimony that he had earlier said he was inclined to prohibit.

The judge accused Binger of attempting to provoke a mistrial in the case with his line of questioning.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission