Kyle Rittenhouse trial verdict – live: Armed man arrested outside court as MSNBC denies photographing jury

As Kyle Rittenhouse’s fate was being decided, protesters from both the “guilty” and “not guilty” camps outside Wisconsin courthouse displayed unusual bonhomie.

The supporters of Black Lives Matter and those of Rittenhouse shared pizza together and spoke of unity as they withstood the bitter cold together despite their opposing views.

But shortly after that, a protester allegedly assaulted and was caught body-slamming a journalist. A man wearing a a “f*** Kyle Rittenhouse” t-shirt was captured on camera hitting a journalist’s camera, forcing him to back down.

Arizona senator Wendy Rogers has joined the growing list of Republican candidates, elected officials, and other influential conservatives who have backed Kyle Rittenhouse.

Rogers tweeted on Friday: “Pray for Kyle Rittenhouse and that decency prevails. Self defense is a human right.”

It comes after Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz said he might offer Rittenhouse an internship.

As the nation’s eyes remain glued to the double homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, viewers have scrutinised the judge presiding over the high-profile case.

Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder is Wisconsin’s longest-service active trial judge who, at 75 years old, has said that he has tried more homicide cases than any judge in the state.

His courtroom manner and arguments with prosecutors have drawn significant attention as the trial draws to a close.

A man who was confronted by police for carrying a rifle without a permit and hurled obscenities about Black Lives Matter protests confirmed he was a fired Ferguson police officer.

The man, who first identified himself as “Maserati Mike”, is Jesse Kline, who was a member in a police department of Missouri for three years.

He has been protesting outside the Kenosha County Courthouse for the past three days as Kyle Rittenhouse jury deliberation continues.

He first brought a rifle to the court and returned with a rifle bag and a dog the next day.

Disgraced Florida congressman Matt Gaetz weighed in on the Kyle Rittenhouse trial this week, saying he may hire the defendant as an intern.

“He deserves a not guilty verdict, and I sure hope he gets it because you know what, Kyle Rittenhouse would probably make a pretty good congressional intern,” Mr Gaetz told Newsmax. “We may reach out to him and see if he’d be interested in helping the country in additional ways.”

Outside the Wisconsin courthouse where Kyle Rittenhouse’s fate is being decided, protesters from both the “guilty” and “not guilty” camps have withstood the bitter cold to make their opinions known.

“In the melee stand two people, barely three feet apart,” The Independent’s Sheila Flynn reports. “Ashley, 26, has flown from California in support of justice for the victims shot last year by Rittenhouse. Almost twice her age, 51-year-old Brandon – who also flew in from California — holds a handmade red, white and blue sign exhorting people to ‘Grow a pair & stop resisting arrest.’ It’s fair to say they come from opposite sides of the ideological spectrum.”

A freelance journalist for NBC News who was cited for a traffic violation near a bus transporting jurors in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial did not photograph, contact or intend to contact the jury, according to a statement from the outlet.

Judge Bruce Schroeder has kicked MSNBC out of the courthouse for the duration of the Rittenhouse trial after police suggested he was following or trying to photograph jurors.

Mark Richards, one of the lawyers representing Kyle Rittenhouse, is baffled by how long the jury is taking to reach a verdict, The New York Times has reported.

“They’re either working to get a consensus — maybe they’re dead-even split,” Mr Richards said as he left the courthouse on Thursday.

The relatively narrow scope of the trial has focussed largely on the moments surrounding the first and last shots fired by Mr Rittenhouse.

But the debate outside the courtroom has scrutinised why Mr Rittenhouse was even there in the first place, inserting himself into a volatile protest environment, and raised questions about Second Amendment protections, the high bar to prosecute lethal self-defence cases, and the cultural and political atmosphere that cultivates violence.

Here is a look at how this jury trial works:

Judge Bruce Schroder is presiding over the Kyle Rittenhouse’s case, which is being nationally televised, with the judge at the centre.

A look at the judge presiding over the closely watched trial: