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Maurice Freeland: 'Jump-kick man' who kicked Kyle Rittenhouse is a convicted felon

Maurice Freeland, 39, admitted that he was the one who kicked Rittenhouse in the head and narrowly avoided being shot by the teen in the 2020 incident

A previously unidentified male who kicked Kyle Rittenhouse in the head before the teenager shot at him twice at the unrest in Kenosha last August has now been identified as a career criminal and convicted felon with an open domestic violence charge.

Rittenhouse has been charged with First Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety of the man known in his trial only as the "jump-kick man" after he dealt a flying kick at the teen's head moments after he fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum. Maurice Freeland,39, admitted he was the one who kicked Rittenhouse and narrowly avoided being shot as a result. Moments after Freeland attempted to flee the bullets, Anthony Huber swung at Rittenhouse with his skateboard for a second time and attempted to take the AR-15 that was slung across his chest. Rittenhouse responded by firing once, shooting Huber in the chest at point-blank range and killing him. Next up was Gaige Grosskreutz, who advanced on Rittenhouse with a Glock 27 but was shot in his right bicep in the process.

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Prosecutors representing the state have attempted to paint these men as "heroes" who were trying to take down an "active shooter," the Daily Mail reported, noting how Huber and Grosskreutz had lengthy and violent criminal histories as well, with the latter having lied to authorities in the past. Now, criminal records have surfaced of the "jump kick man" who was out on bond that night for an alleged assault on his girlfriend that saw him kick her in the ribcage and throw her to the floor.

Speaking to local news website Wisconsin Right Now, Freeland claimed he was the "unidentified complainant" in the second of the five counts over which the jury is currently deliberating. It was WISN 1130 talk radio host Dan O'Donnell who broke the story saying the prosecutors had identified the man but did not name him.

While it's unclear when the state learned Freeland's identity, it has been confirmed that he demanded immunity before he would testify in court and that Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger would not grant it. Daily Mail reported how the man Binger painted a hero, was out on bond having been charged with Battery Domestic Abuse, Criminal Damage to Property Domestic Abuse, and Disorderly Conduct Domestic Abuse for a March 23, 2020 incident.

The newspaper obtained court records that detailed the night Freeland and his partner Monalisa N McDuffie had both been drinking, before police responded to a call about "family trouble" about 12.19 am. McDuffie told responding officers that she had taken Freeland's car keys early that evening "believing neither [she nor he] were in a state that was safe to drive in." Freeland was enraged and became violent after a friend had driven them home.

The criminal complaint stated how "Maurice began to yell…and punched the drywall in multiple spots. The two began to 'tussle' and while this was occurring, Monalisa reported Maurice punched her three times in her chest, causing her pain." She added that Freeland "threw her to the ground and kicked her in her lower right ribcage…then began punching the television." The victim told police how she fled out of the back door and dropped her phone as she ran. Meanwhile, Freeland "yelled something to the effect of, 'you better run bitch, I'll kill you.'" Authorities later found "fist-sized" holes in the drywall, blood on Freeland's knuckles, and dried blood around the collar of McDuffie's shirt which "appeared to be stretched out," the Daily Mail reported.

This is reportedly just one of several open cases against Freeland, whose criminal record in Kenosha County includes 25 charges spanning across more than two decades, featuring acts of criminal violence, destruction of property, possession of controlled substances, traffic offenses, family court violations, as well as escape from custody. 

According to the Daily Mail, the most recent records date back three years and cover a slew of charges. Freeland's most recent incarceration was in May, before he was released on October 24. The charges, in that case, included battery, disorderly conduct, possession of marijuana, and several traffic violations including driving a vehicle while on a suspended sentence.