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Fact Check: Did Kyle Rittenhouse Prosecutor Point Gun at Jury, Telling Them to Convict?
Newsweak ^ | Nov 17, 2021 | Yevgeny Kuklychev

Posted on 11/17/2021 6:47:13 AM PST by where's_the_Outrage?

The Claim

While making his closing statement, Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger produced the weapon that Rittenhouse used during the shooting incident on August 25, 2020.

Binger then raised and pointed the weapon in the courtroom. The moment was captured by the court's cameras and multiple photographers in the room.

The video and images of the episode have since been widely shared online, accompanied by questions around Binger's handling of the firearm—including his appearing to put his finger on the trigger—and claims that he aimed the rifle at the jury.....

While it is accurate to say that the prosecutor raises the weapon and points it in a certain direction, the line of sight appears to go diagonally across the room, rather than toward the jury, which is seated behind and to the left of the spot where he stands.....

Finally, there is no basis to the claims that the weapon was loaded or unsafe. Both Binger and—later—defense attorney Mark Richards stated that it was first checked by a weapons safety professional.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: gunsafety; juryintimidation; rittenhouse; straightpropaganda; unloadedgun; yevgenykuklychev
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To: lgjhn23

The parallels between his so-called “gun handling” and the movie set shooting are amazingly close.


41 posted on 11/17/2021 7:58:53 AM PST by telescope115 (Proud member of the ANTIFAuci movement. )
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To: al_c

EXACTLY


42 posted on 11/17/2021 8:00:57 AM PST by telescope115 (Proud member of the ANTIFAuci movement. )
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To: Toespi
I think he was doing it for drama, showing the jury what it must have felt like when Rittenhouse pointed the gun at the three Kenosha heroes.

The "victims" experienced such terror that they threatened him, charged at him, grabbed the gun, hit him, etc.

43 posted on 11/17/2021 8:08:17 AM PST by pepsi_junkie (Often wrong, but never in doubt!)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Thanks msn, I always rely on the “safety professional” to check my firearms when I play around and aim them at random people.

Maybe if this guy checked the chamber himself and let the bolt slam that sound would have helped intimidate the jury to convict.


44 posted on 11/17/2021 8:15:22 AM PST by jughandle (Big words anger me, keep talking. )
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

I never read that he pointed it at the jury except in this “fact check”. I read that he pointed it at “people” without explanation as to who was meant.


45 posted on 11/17/2021 8:15:42 AM PST by libertylover (Our biggest problem, by far, is that most of the media is hate & agenda driven, not truth driven.)
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

A question for AR style rifle owners ( I can’t get to mine at this point in time)-
do these rifles have a magazine disconnect? Can a chambered round be discharged if the mag is dropped? None of my pistols have one.


46 posted on 11/17/2021 8:16:41 AM PST by telescope115 (Proud member of the ANTIFAuci movement. )
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To: telescope115

No, and Yes


47 posted on 11/17/2021 8:17:30 AM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic...)
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

If the moron prosecutor was so sure the rifle was safe he should have put the barrel tip under his chin and pulled the trigger.


48 posted on 11/17/2021 8:18:36 AM PST by subterfuge (RIP T.P.)
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To: TexasGator
I didn’t see him check it an his finger is on the trigger.

If you've seen a full video of what happened in the courtroom before he did that, and it is clear that nobody checked the chamber, then you're right. I'm simply saying that looking at that photo alone doesn't tell you much.

49 posted on 11/17/2021 8:18:49 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin
”Okay...how to you ever clean a weapon or check the barrel if you assume it is always loaded?”

Please don’t misunderstand me. I have grappled with this same issue over the years. I would call it the “Maintenance exception”. I have never attempted to write out the exception because the typical student needs to concentrate on the basic safety rules.

What I would say is that the Maintenance exception must be carried out in a manner which minimizes violations of the basic safety rules.

The DA had no justification for violating multiple basic safety rules simultaneously.

50 posted on 11/17/2021 8:19:17 AM PST by William Tell
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To: Magnum44

Thanks. We are expecting company this morning at any moment, and it wouldn’t be cool if I greeted them with my rifle in hand.😏


51 posted on 11/17/2021 8:21:07 AM PST by telescope115 (Proud member of the ANTIFAuci movement. )
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To: telescope115
”… do these rifles have a magazine disconnect?”

No.

52 posted on 11/17/2021 8:23:11 AM PST by William Tell
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To: certrtwngnut
- Has anyone noticed that the article was published by NEWSWEAK and not NEWSWEEK? -

The article is actually from Newsweek, but it's become an FR tradition to refer to it as Newsweak.

53 posted on 11/17/2021 8:24:20 AM PST by ken in texas
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To: telescope115

Still probably better than greeting them with your “gun” in your hand.😆


54 posted on 11/17/2021 8:30:05 AM PST by Do_Tar (Do I really need a /joke?)
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

He relied on the word of another and put his finger on the trigger.

Baldwin relied on the word of another bad put his finger on tge trigger.


55 posted on 11/17/2021 8:34:31 AM PST by TexasGator (UF)
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To: Do_Tar

Yeah, it’s gonna be the apartment manager doing her annual inspection. Might not go over too well…🤪


56 posted on 11/17/2021 8:42:52 AM PST by telescope115 (Proud member of the ANTIFAuci movement. )
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To: Erik Latranyi

he did not know who was on the other side of the walls


Good point. There have been a number of street shootings where a stray bullet struck someone inside their home.

In the original live broadcast from the courtroom, it appears that a detective checked the AR before handing it to Dinger and that Dinger did not point it in the direction of the jury. It was certainly poor optics from a gun safety perspective. While it could not be determined whether the weapon was pointed at anyone in the room, persons who could be seen in the public gallery looked very nervous.


57 posted on 11/17/2021 9:30:45 AM PST by rwa265
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Not exactly

But bad gun safety and optics

What was with the dippity doo hair...

Gen X .....hmm


58 posted on 11/17/2021 9:34:15 AM PST by wardaddy (Too many uninformed ..and scolds here )
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

Do we know if Binger opened the bolt to check?


59 posted on 11/17/2021 9:45:02 AM PST by Tallguy
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To: saleman

We could have gotten Al Gore to look down the barrel.


60 posted on 11/17/2021 9:46:00 AM PST by Tallguy
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