Gaige Grosskreutz: Prosecution witness in Kyle Rittenhouse case had prior charges dropped SIX days before trial
KENOSHA COUNTY, WISCONSIN: Amid the ongoing Kyle Rittenhouse trial, it has come to light that the sole survivor of Rittenhouse's shooting is actually a career criminal with a long history of violence. Gaige Grosskreutz, 28, who served as the star witness for the prosecution, even had a criminal charge to his name that was dismissed barely six days prior to the trial. More shockingly, the lead prosecutor and Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger was well aware of Grosskreutz's criminal history but presented him as a paramedic who was there to provide medical aid on the night when Kyle Rittenhouse shot two dead.
Earlier, while taking the stand, Grosskreutz had admitted that Rittenhouse shot him because he raised his gun first. The 17-year-old shot Grosskreutz in his right arm, which left him with a life-altering injury. The original criminal complaint says Grosskreutz approached Rittenhouse with his hands in the air, but video footage shows that Grosskreutz had a gun in his hand. That evidence is what landed Grosskreutz in trouble on November 8. During cross-examination, the defense asked, "It wasn't until you pointed your gun at (Rittenhouse)...that he fired." To that, he replied, "Correct".
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Grosskreutz later clarified that while he had his gun in his hand, he did not intentionally point it at Rittenhouse, but acknowledged that he felt there was "imminent danger". "I was never trying to kill the defendant. In that moment, I was trying to preserve my own life. But doing so while also taking the life of another is not something that I'm capable of or comfortable doing," he stated in court.
However, the video clip of the moment Grosskreutz acknowledged the presence of his gun was widely shared on social media within minutes. One of the prosecutors was also seen doing a facepalm in response.
Who is Gaige Grosskreutz?
Grosskreutz reportedly volunteered as a medic at the Black Lives Matter protests, where Kyle Rittenhouse shot two people dead on the night of August 25, 2020. He was also protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake. Eyewitnesses saw Grosskreutz helping others amid the chaos on the very night of the shooting.
Viral video footage from the scene showed Kyle Rittenhouse roaming among the protesters, armed with a large AR-15 rifle. At one point, shots are heard and a person in the parking lot fell to the ground after being shot in the stomach. The shooter, believed to be Rittenhouse, goes on to shoot two more people later who tried to detain him. While the first two of his victims, identified as Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum, succumbed to the bullet wounds, Rittenhouse shot his third victim Grosskreutz in the arm.
The bullet hit Grosskreutz in the bicep and he later needed reconstructive surgery to recover. He spent over a week in the hospital and underwent arm surgery, followed by months of physical therapy to use his right arm again. However, according to his testimony, his arm is still weak and he experiences pain often.
Gaige Grosskreutz's criminal history
In a shocking turn of events, a probe into Grosskreutz's background has unearthed substantial evidence of criminal history spanning more than a decade. His long list of offenses includes domestic abuse, trespassing, multiple DUIs, prowling, felony burglary, and two charges of carrying firearms while drunk. In fact, one of his pending DUI charges was dismissed on a technicality, just six days before his testimony in the Rittenhouse trial. His records also revealed that he had previously shown disdain and non-cooperation with the police on multiple occasions.
On August 16, 2020, nine days before the Rittenhouse shooting, Grosskreutz was arrested by West Allis Police on prowling charges, as he was found videotaping personal police vehicles in the police department parking lot at 1 am in morning.
If Grosskreutz's DUI charge was not dismissed before the Rittenhouse trial, he would have been questioned under oath about his bond and the nature of his offense. The charge might have adversely affected his credibility as the star witness against Rittenhouse, despite being evidentially shot by him.
He defended his own stance of carrying a 9 mm Glock 19 semi-automatic handgun at the time when Rittenhouse shot at him, saying, "I believe in the Second Amendment, I'm for people's right to carry and bear arms and that night was no different from any other day. It's keys, phone, wallet, gun." However, no mention of his prior firearm violations was mentioned during his testimony. Even his repeated court orders to check into programs for alcohol and substance abuse were not mentioned.
It remains to be seen how Grosskreutz's testimony shapes the verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, as many believe Rittenhouse was not guilty in shooting the attackers who "threatened" his life.