US teen cleared in protester deaths says self-defence not illegal

WASHINGTON • American teen Kyle Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two men during protests against police brutality in Wisconsin last year, said self-defence is "not illegal" after being cleared, as the verdict reverberated across America.

Last Friday, a jury found the 18-year-old not guilty of reckless and intentional homicide and other charges stemming from the shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August last year.

The acquittal sparked sporadic protests in the US but also drew praise from Rittenhouse supporters and gun rights advocates, highlighting how divisive the case was.

In comments broadcast by Fox News, the teen - seen smiling as he rides in a car after the verdict - said he was relieved his "rough journey" had come to an end.

"The jury reached the correct verdict - self-defence is not illegal," Mr Rittenhouse said, ahead of a full interview with Fox to be shown this evening and a documentary set to air next month.

Mr Rittenhouse's family later said they had been moved to an undisclosed location.

The case drew national attention, in part because it arose from the Black Lives Matter protests that swept the US last year and featured a controversial mix of guns, racial tensions and vigilantism.

He testified during the two-week trial that he shot dead two men and injured another with his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in self-defence after being attacked during a night of unrest in Kenosha. The teen, who lived in neighbouring Illinois, said he went to Kenosha to protect businesses from looters and act as a medic.

Prosecutors argued that the then 17-year-old provoked the events on a chaotic night sparked when a white policeman shot a black man, Mr Jacob Blake, in the back several times during an arrest, leaving him paralysed.

Mr John Huber, father of one of the men killed in Kenosha, said: "We still can't believe it. He should have got about 40 years in prison... and he's now a hero."

President Joe Biden warned against violence following the verdict, saying: "I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE