Kyle Rittenhouse's 'murder' comments could be used against him in court

Texts in which Kyle Rittenhouse allegedly claimed he wanted to kill Black Lives Matter rioters could be used against him in an ongoing trial.

Rittenhouse's former bodyguard, who claims to have the texts, has said he is willing to work with John Huber, who is suing Rittenhouse for shooting his son at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.

Rittenhouse gained notoriety in August 2020 when, at the age of 17, he shot two men – Huber, 26, and Joseph Rosenbaum, 36 – and injured 26-year-old Paul Prediger, then known as Gaige Grosskreutz, after rioting after a blackout Lives Matter demonstration in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The 21-year-old said the three shootings, which were carried out with an AR-15 semi-automatic firearm, were in self-defense.

Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges in November 2021, including charges of first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree manslaughter and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. He later said he supported the BLM movement, adding that he attended the demonstration to “protect businesses and provide medical assistance.”

Rittenhouse, then 17, allegedly vowed to “murder” people he saw shoplifting from a local CVS pharmacy two weeks before the two people were shot in Wisconsin, his former bodyguard Dave Hancock claimed.

“I wish they would come to my house. “I’m going to fucking murder her,” another text allegedly reads.

The allegations were made by Hancock The Kyle Rittenhouse trialsa 90-minute documentary that first aired September 27 on the Law & Crime Network.

Rittenhouse has become a celebrity among gun rights advocates after a jury acquitted him of murder charges.

According to the Law & Crime website, Hancock said he was willing to work with the lawyers who handled Huber's lawsuit.

While Rittenhouse did not directly address his former bodyguard's allegations in the documentary, he maintained his innocence.

“I had no other choice because I was surrounded and had nowhere to go or escape. I didn’t do anything wrong,” he told the documentary crew.

Rittenhouse's attorney, Mark Richards, told Law & Crime that he was not surprised that Hancock was willing to work with Huber.

“If Dave provides information to the plaintiffs, it wouldn’t surprise me as he has been threatening to do so for some time,” Richards told Law & Crime. “He also told me that he would return the phone if Kyle paid $40,000, which he believes Kyle owes him. It never gets boring.”

“To say this, Dave [Hancock] “To be a disgruntled former employee, speaker or fundraiser would be a huge understatement,” Richards added.

Newsweek sought email comment Tuesday through Richards from Richards, Huber and Hancock, as well as Rittenhouse.

A federal judge ruled in February that Huber's wrongful death lawsuit could proceed.

John Huber is suing Rittenhouse and Wisconsin police over his son's death. The lawsuit alleges that Rittenhouse worked with law enforcement to harm protesters. Huber is seeking unspecified damages from city officials, civil servants and Rittenhouse.

In February, Wisconsin federal judge Lynn Adelman rejected motions filed by Rittenhouse and police to dismiss the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, which Huber originally filed in 2021, draws a connection between Rittenhouse's actions and those of law enforcement present at the site of the protests.

The lawsuit accuses Kenosha police officers of allowing a dangerous situation to occur that violated his son's constitutional rights and led to his death. It also alleges that Rittenhouse conspired with officers to harm protesters.

Another Rittenhouse lawyer, Shane Martin, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press in February: “While we respect the judge's decision, we do not believe there is evidence of a conspiracy and we are confident, as is a Kenosha.” -Jury found. “Kyle’s actions that evening were not unlawful and were in self-defense.

Anthony Huber was among the people who gathered to protest the shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer. Rittenhouse testified that he went to the protests to protect private property and to help as a medic.

During the protests, Rittenhouse – who was carrying an AR-15 rifle – initially shot at 36-year-old Rosenbaum, who had approached him but was unarmed. After the first shooting, Rittenhouse ran toward the police line but was pursued by Huber, who mistook him for an active shooter. Huber hit the teenager with his skateboard but was then shot by Rittenhouse.

Preacher, who was pursuing Rittenhouse, was shot in the arm by the teenager but survived. He's also suing Rittenhouse. Preacher, who was also armed, said he had his hands in the air at that point.

Although Rittenhouse was found not guilty in 2021 on five counts of first-degree intentional homicide because he acted in self-defense, the civil case could reach a different verdict. The burden of proof is different in a civil case, where plaintiffs must prove their claim by a preponderance of the evidence, rather than proving it beyond a reasonable doubt, as in criminal cases.