Kyle Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to all charges related to the Aug. 25 shootings in Kenosha.
Rittenhouse, 18, is charged with five felonies, including first-degree homicide and attempted homicide.
His lawyer, Mark Richards, appeared alongside the accusee in a videoconference court trial.
Rittenhouse claims that his acts were done in self-defense.
At the time of the alleged crime, Rittenhouse was 17. He has also been charged with possessing a “dangerous weapon” while being underage.
The virtual court arrangement lasted about four minutes. He had previously been released from custody after posting $2 million in bail.
His attorney said that he only fired his rifle after being attacked by protestors following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, who resisted arrest.
Rittenhouse’s defense attorney initially asked for the bail to be set at $750,000, noting that he has no criminal record, quickly turned himself in voluntarily after the incident, and has an “overwhelming” claim of self-defense.
“Who attacked my client first?” Richards asked. “Rosenbaum, then the mob, not demonstrators, but rioters with ill intent in their heart.”
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger asked for the $2 million bond, noting that Rittenhouse faces life in prison if convicted of the homicide charges, which makes him a flight risk.
“The defendant doesn’t want to be here and if released won’t come back,” Binger said.
During a previously held hearing, Richards put on view various screenshots from video footage that were recorded during the incident.
Photos showed Rittenhouse running away from a protester who had a firearm and Rittenhouse on the floor after being struck with a skateboard.
“The state is trying to put forth a one-sided, stilted view of what happened,” Richards asserted.
