The video was shot from high above, and it’s difficult to clearly distinguish the identities of the two men running. During his testimony, Det. Martin Howard with the Kenosha Police Department confirmed the identities of the two men in the final few seconds before the shooting.
Prosecutors had previously said the infrared surveillance video could show that, at least at some point during the night of the fatal shootings, it was Rittenhouse who was following Rosenbaum.
Rittenhouse’s attorney, Mark Richards, argued Rosenbaum chased Rittenhouse.
Prosecutors played about 10 videos in court Wednesday that, taken together, showed what happened before, during and after Rittenhouse killed two men and wounded another in Kenosha. Rittenhouse, now 18, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges, including first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree attempted intentional homicide.
In opening statements, the prosecution said evidence would show Rittenhouse chased down and fatally shot Rosenbaum, 36, and then shot at three other people who tried to confront what they believed to be an active shooter. However, Richards said Rittenhouse acted in self-defense, describing Rosenbaum as the aggressor and the others as part of a “mob.”
Most of the facts of what happened that night are not up for debate — rather, the heart of the trial is the analysis of Rittenhouse’s actions and whether they can be considered “reasonable.”
Rittenhouse fired an AR-15-style weapon eight times in all during the unrest: four shots at Rosenbaum, who was unarmed; two shots at an unarmed unknown individual who kicked Rittenhouse; one fatal shot at Anthony Huber, who hit Rittenhouse with a skateboard; and one shot at Gaige Grosskreutz, who was holding a gun, according to prosecutors.
Series of videos show person fired a gunshot before Rosenbaum was killed
In the grainy new video, Rittenhouse is moving rapidly along a sidewalk by himself. The sidewalk leads to a parking lot, where Rosenbaum is positioned next to a cluster of parked cars.
Richards, Rittenhouse’s attorney, alleges that Rosenbaum was in the parking lot setting a Duramax on fire.
“As Kyle (Rittenhouse) … comes to the Duramax, this individual, Mr. Rosenbaum, begins to come out of his hiding place,” said Richards, pointing to Rosenbaum in the video.
Howard confirmed the attorney’s statement while on the stand. He also confirmed that Rosenbaum was wearing a mask.
Richards argued that Rosenbaum “was in hiding” as Rittenhouse arrived at the parking lot, which Howard confirmed.
Rittenhouse slows down in the video, and there appears to be some kind of exchange, but there is no audio of the moment.
Howard confirmed this was right about the time when Rittenhouse could be heard yelling “friendly, friendly, friendly” on other witness video.
“And it does not dissuade Mr. Rosenbaum, correct?” Richards said.
“Correct,” Howard responded.
Rittenhouse continues to move in the same direction he was moving previously, and Rosenbaum starts to chase Rittenhouse.
The new surveillance video is part of a series of videos played during Rittenhouse’s criminal trial Wednesday that show a different person fired a gunshot in the air seconds before the teenager fatally shot Rosenbaum in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last August.
Ziminski, 36, has separately been charged with disorderly conduct using a dangerous weapon, arson and obstructing an officer, and he has pleaded not guilty, court records show. A criminal complaint says he admitted to firing a “warning shot” in the air that night.
What the videos showed
The videos, some of which were graphic, came from different angles and from a variety of witnesses at the scene.
The first batch of videos showed the first shooting in which Rosenbaum chased Rittenhouse and threw a bag at him. A gunshot then went off, and Rittenhouse then shot Rosenbaum four times. Prosecutors showed graphic video of Rosenbaum lying on the ground with a head wound as people tried to provide medical aid.
While the video was playing in the courtroom, Rittenhouse’s head was pointed downward, not watching the video.
Prosecutors then played different videos of people who pointed out Rittenhouse as he ran from the shooting scene and yelled that he had just shot a man. A crowd started to chase Rittenhouse, who fell and then fired four more rounds, the videos show.
In one video, taken earlier in the night by Daily Caller editor Richie McGinniss, Rittenhouse said he was out on the streets serving as a medic and that the other armed individuals were there to protect him.
“Our job is to protect this business and part of my job is to also help people,” Rittenhouse said. “If there’s somebody hurt, I’m running into harm’s way. That’s why I have my rifle, because I need to protect myself obviously. I also have my med kit.”
Koerri Washington, who live-streamed the unrest in Kenosha last August, testified at the start of Wednesday as prosecutors played a video he took on the night of the shootings. He testified that Rosenbaum had been acting “erratic” and Rittenhouse was chain smoking and appeared nervous that night.
Det. Howard testified that he examined Rittenhouse when he turned himself in the day after the shootings.
Howard noted that Rittenhouse had a half-inch scratch above his left eyebrow, a small cut on the inside of his lower lip, a 2-inch scratch below his left collarbone, some redness to the right side of his belly button, a 2-inch scratch on his left forearm, redness on his right forearm, redness at the tip of his right thumb, a scratch on his back near his left shoulder blade and two bumps on the back of his head.
Friend who purchased weapon testifies
Dominick Black, a 20-year-old friend who was dating Rittenhouse’s sister, testified Tuesday as the first witness in the trial and said he purchased an AR-15 firearm for Rittenhouse in what prosecutors called a “straw purchase.”
Rittenhouse was too young to purchase and possess a gun, but he gave Black funds to buy the firearm, Black testified.
On August 25, 2020, Black and Rittenhouse each took a weapon and ammo and went to downtown Kenosha to try to protect a car dealership called Car Source, where about six or seven other armed people had gathered. Black climbed atop the roof of the dealership that night because he felt being on the ground was too dangerous, he testified.
At one point, he heard gunshots go off in the distance at an area where Rittenhouse was.
“I didn’t believe the gunshots were actually his until I got a phone call. I answered it and he just said, ‘I shot somebody, I shot somebody,’ and then hung up right away,” Black testified.
Rittenhouse returned to the dealership “freaking out,” pale and sweaty, Black said. They left Kenosha and drove to Rittenhouse’s home in Antioch, and Rittenhouse surrendered to police the next morning.
Black has been charged with two counts of intentionally giving a dangerous weapon to a person under the age of 18 causing death, according to court records. He has pleaded not guilty. He testified Tuesday that he hoped taking the stand would lead to leniency in his case.
CNN’s Carma Hassan and Brad Parks contributed to this report.