Drew Hernandez, a freelance journalist who covered the rioting in Kenosha last year, provided crucial testimony in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial which both supported the defendant’s self defense claim and exposed the motive behind the entire prosecution. Hernandez, a witness for the defense, was one of the last called to testify before the defense rested its case. Cross examination by the prosecution provided one of the more contentious exchanges in a trial which has seen many so far.
Witness affirms that Rosenbaum initiated conflict
Hernandez testified that he was covering the Kenosha riots on the night of August 25 2020 and witnessed the events leading up to the first shooting that night.
He told defense attorney Corey Chirafisi that he had seen no aggressive or provocative behavior from Rittenhouse that night. He went on to testify that he had seen the exact opposite.
Hernandez claimed to have seen Rittenhouse repeatedly attempt to deescalate tense situations which arose when armed citizens attempted to put out fires set by rioters.
His testimony supported other evidence and witness statements about Joseph Rosenbaum’s behavior that night before he was shot by Rittenhouse.
The prosecution’s case depends mostly on offering convincing evidence to show that Rosenbaum did not initiate the confrontation which led to his being shot by Rittenhouse.
Hernandez offered additional support for the claim, made by witnesses for both the defense and the prosecution, that Rosenbaum ambushed Rittenhouse and charged at him before he was killed.
A political prisoner
The prosecution attempted to ask Hernandez about his political affiliations on cross examination, a line of questioning which the judge prohibited as irrelevant, adding that “This is not a political trial.”
For the prosecution and much of the country it absolutely is a political trial. Kyle Rittenhouse is probably only on trial at all for political reasons and the prosecution will be happy to remind any potentially biased jurors that they should disregard evidence that does not support their prior assumptions.
Drew Hernandez, to be fair, is a right wing commentator who supports the right to self defense on principle. He stubbornly refused to stop calling rioters what they were during his testimony.
His tone may not have been the most impartial on the witness stand but it is revealing that the prosecution felt that his political leanings alone were sufficient cause to suggest that his sworn testimony was biased and unreliable.
Hernandez made it clear that he had no love for the rioters in Kenosha but nothing he said contradicted the known facts of the case or suggested that he was changing his recollection of what he heard and saw for political reasons.
Hernandez may not have been the strongest witness so far for the defense but his remarks certainly provided more crucial support for the mountain of evidence suggesting that Rosenbaum attacked first.
