The rifle that Kyle Rittenhouse used so capably, was by all reports, a bone-stock SW M&P.
As we ponder the unknowable, awaiting the verdict, one question came to my mind last evening. If Kyle is acquitted, will he get his rifle back? Every agency I ever worked for had a mechanism to return property after a case was concluded. I suspect that Wisconsin does also.
I would say he should, and I suspect it's required in Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteI would not be surprised if they give excuses to NOT return it.
Is it even his rifle? In both Wisconsin and Illinois you have to be 18 to purchase or possess a rifle. He was 17 when this happened. His dad lives in Kenosha. So either somebody loaned him the rifle in Illinois and he crossed state lines with it, or he borrowed it from his dad in Wisconsin. Illegal possession either way, but the gun is not at fault and should be returned to its rightful owner. OTOH, looks like the Wisconsin law is poorly written, bad enough that the judge threw out the weapons possession charges, whether or not that was the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteIllinois has firearms ID cards, do they have rifle registration too? Easy to find owner that way if so.
The rifle waved around in court has no sights and no sling. The rifle KR is depicted using in the various riot videos has a sling and a red dot sight. Why would those need to be removed or tampered with? Removing the magazine and clearing the weapon are understandable, altering the item of evidence, not so much.
ReplyDeleteSome reports say he was loaned the rifle by a friend and that friend is facing charges.
ReplyDeleteLack of sights and sling made me wonder if it was actually Kyle's rifle or not. Secondly, if the police had either tampered or removed those things making it 'not really the real thing for evidence', why in hell didn't they just get a "blue gun" to wave around and muzzle folks with the bolt closed and the douche-nozzle prosecutor's finger on the trigger? I would have offered the prosecutor to insert the rifle up his arse so far as his dentist would need to remove it!
ReplyDeleteWonder if it would have been a mistrial for a juror to stand up and say, "Your Honor, I do not feel safe with Mr Ginger pointing a gun at me! I can no longer be impartial. Please excuse me from this trial."
ReplyDeleteI'd think that causes a mistrial for deliberate misconduct.
Retired Cop, I had the same thought. If I'd been in that jury box I would have channeled the ghost of R Lee Ermey in a nanosecond and torn that DA to shreds, screaming for his immediate arrest on multiple counts, including jury intimidation. Would I have been tossed? Whoe cares, and I'd take the whole jury with me. Later on I read that somebody else had checked the weapon for him. i really don't care. The Baldwin Defense is worthless IMO. What if that other person had "accidentally" slipped a live round in there? WTF wasn't the breech yellow flagged, like you see on the range at any shooting competition?
ReplyDeleteGun Owners of America posted on Facebook an announcement that they would be sending Kyle a free AR.
ReplyDelete