Mysterious 'Jump Kick Man' who took aim at Kyle Rittenhouse's head last year identified as Maurice Freeland — a 39-year-old with a lengthy criminal history



The previously unknown individual who jump-kicked at the head of then-17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse on the night of the Kenosha shootings last year has been identified as Maurice Freeland — a 39-year-old with an extensive criminal history, Fox News reported.

Rittenhouse's defense attorneys revealed the identity of the so-called "Jump Kick Man" to Fox News, the cable network said.

What are the details?

Rittenhouse testified that he fired at Freeland in self-defense but missed: "I thought if I were to be knocked out, he would have stomped my face in if I didn't fire."

Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Seconds after Freeland's jump kick, Anthony Huber bashed Rittenhouse's head with a skateboard and attempted to take his rife — during which Rittenhouse fatally shot Huber.

Then came the confrontation with Gaige Grosskreutz, who admitted to jurors that he aimed a loaded gun at Rittenhouse's head before the defendant shot off part of his bicep.

Freeland, Huber, and Grosskreutz were all part of a mob chasing Rittenhouse down a street after the defendant fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum, who had been chasing Rittenhouse and threatening his life. Rittenhouse also testified that he shot Rosenbaum, Huber, and Grosskreutz in self-defense.

What else do we know about Freeland?

Fox News said Freeland's criminal history includes more than 45 offenses over the past 21 years, including domestic abuse, drunk driving, damaging property, theft, and violating parole.

Freeland's inmate record from the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department shows the Racine, Wisconsin, resident — who stands 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 215 pounds — was charged less than a month ago with battery and disorderly conduct.

Image source: Kenosha County Sheriff's Department

Freeland approached the Rittenhouse prosecutors during the trial and offered to testify in exchange for immunity from other charges, including a DUI, but prosecutors rejected the offer, Fox News said, citing a source familiar with the discussions.

Rittenhouse is facing one count of first-degree recklessly endangering safety with a dangerous weapon for firing the shots at Freeland, the cable network noted, adding that the charge carries a maximum sentence of 12 1/2 years in prison, plus up to five more years with the weapons modifier.

Fox News said Freeland could not be reached for comment Thursday.

CNN's Jeffrey Toobin says Kyle Rittenhouse is lucky it isn't 'illegal to be an idiot'



CNN chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who was caught masturbating on camera during a work Zoom call last October, said Wednesday that Kyle Rittenhouse is lucky he's not on trial for being "an idiot."

Rittenhouse is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, and first-degree attempted intentional homicide for shooting three people — killing two and injuring the third — during a riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year. Defense attorneys argue Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time, acted in self-defense. He has pleaded not guilty.

The teenager took the stand Wednesday to testify in his own defense. During cross-examination by the prosecution, Rittenhouse broke down in tears as he recounted the events that led to the shootings.

The trial has proved contentious, as Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger's attempts to ask questions Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder has ruled were beyond the scope of the trial have repeatedly angered the judge.

As Rittenhouse testified, Toobin called him an "idiot" for his actions.

"What kind of idiot 17-year-old gets a giant gun and goes to a riot? He has no license, he has no training, he thinks he's going to scrub graffiti off with his AR-15?" he asked.

"I mean, the stupidity of this is like — what could possibly go wrong? Well, a lot went wrong," said Toobin.

CNN's Zoom masturbator, Jefferey Toobin says Kyle Rittenhouse is lucky it isn't "illegal to be an idiot."pic.twitter.com/QPhPNLt1Cx

— Nicholas Fondacaro (@nickfondacaro) 1636571554

Continuing, Toobin said the "good news" for Rittenhouse is that he's "not on trial for being an idiot" and that the prosecution has a "tough case" to show he's a murderer.

"He's on trial for homicide, and in that respect … this is a tough case for the prosecution because it does seem like he has a plausible case of self-defense," Toobin said.

"If it were illegal to be an idiot, the jails would be even more crowded than they are now. Homicide's a different matter, and, you know, he may have a defense here," he added.

Rittenhouse testified Wednesday that he went to Kenosha on the morning of August 25 to clean up graffiti and returned later that night with a rifle and small medical kit to meet with other armed people. "I went down there to provide first aid," he said. He testified that he was not looking for trouble.

Rittenhouse testified he used "deadly force" against four people during the violence and confusion of the riot in attempts to defend himself, after receiving threats against his person.

"I didn't know if it was going to kill them, but I used deadly force to stop the threat that was attacking me," he said.

Whitlock: Despite what RaceAnon says, Kyle Rittenhouse is not Jefferson Davis and his victims were not Abraham Lincoln



On Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed two white people and injured a third.

The shootings occurred during the mostly peaceful arson, looting, rioting, and violence staged to protest the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed-but-knife-wielding black sexual assaulter who peacefully fought with police officers as they tried to arrest him.

In the days following the shooting of Blake, Antifa and other white liberal agitators descended on Kenosha to assist in the mostly peaceful destruction of the city. Rittenhouse, then 17, joined other law-and-order conservative volunteers in descending on Kenosha to thwart plans to burn the city.

In the streets of Kenosha, Black Lives Matter hosted a fight between white outside agitators and do-gooders. BLM played the role of legendary boxing promoter Don King, pitting Tyson Fury against Rocky Marciano.

Rittenhouse won the fight via the three-knockdown rule. His first opponent tried to wrestle his gun away. Rittenhouse shot him four times and killed him. His second opponent clubbed him with a skateboard and tried to wrestle his gun away. Rittenhouse shot him once and killed him. His third and final opponent approached him with a gun and pointed it at him. Rittenhouse shot him once and severed a bicep.

A prosecutor in Wisconsin has charged Rittenhouse with a laundry list of crimes, including murder. Rittenhouse and his attorneys have claimed self-defense. The trial is in its second week. By all objective accounts, it's not going well for the prosecution. Rittenhouse's third and surviving victim admitted on the witness stand that he pointed his gun at Rittenhouse before he was shot. Based on images from inside the courtroom, the admission visibly devastated the prosecution team.

But there is a somewhat surprising twist to this court case. The Rittenhouse murder trial is somehow a referendum on racial justice. It appears that white liberals who die in a dispute with a white conservative are posthumously granted black status. Rittenhouse killed two white people and injured a third, and he's being portrayed as a white supremacist. Some of the black population who live on Facebook and other social media apps are treating the Rittenhouse trial as an extension of the George Floyd-Derek Chauvin trial. The conviction of Rittenhouse seems to be as important as the acquittal of O.J. Simpson.

A black man purporting to be George Floyd's nephew posted a video to Facebook claiming that there are people inside the Kenosha courthouse identifying and photographing members of the jury.

"I ain't even gonna name the people that I know that's up in the Kenosha trial," said Cortez Rice, who claims to be Floyd's nephew. "But it's cameras in there. It's definitely cameras up in there. There's definitely people taking pictures of the jurors and everything like that. We know what's going on."

Rice's video feels like a threat. Jurors will be doxxed and harassed if they don't convict Rittenhouse of murder.

We've reached a level of absurdity where black Twitter cares more about white-on-white crime than black-on-black crime. With the death of his alleged uncle, Cortez Rice launched a career as a Black Lives Matter activist. Rice was so moved by the death of his "uncle" that he abandoned his plans of medical school, bought gold fronts, started a GoFundMe page, and reimagined himself as Al Sharpton $2.0.

Black Lives Matter claims to be about protecting the sanctity of black lives. In reality, the movement is really White Perpetrators Matter. There apparently is such a shortage of white perpetrators committing violence against black people that BLM has adopted cases that have nothing to do with black victims.

Kyle Rittenhouse shot three white people who attempted to disarm and attack him. I can't for the life of me understand why any black person would have his emotions tied up in this case.

There's only one possible explanation. If you see the three white victims as your saviors, then I understand your passion for retribution. I used the word "retribution" intentionally. The Rittenhouse case isn't about justice. Black boys and men are gunned down daily without a concerted effort to demand justice and/or conviction for the perpetrators. We have no problem overlooking unsolved murders or unjust acquittals when the perpetrators are black. We cheered O.J. Simpson's acquittal.

Are we going to cry and riot when/if Rittenhouse is acquitted?

If so, we will further frame ourselves as racially insane. We've allowed cable news, social media apps, and leftist politicians to use race-bait narratives to wrap us in a constant state of racial delusion.

We think race explains every human interaction. Our actions, values, culture, self-esteem, and faith are all irrelevant. RaceAnon explains America. We've joined a conspiracy theory cult that has convinced us a gun battle between white men in 2020 is really a Civil War re-enactment.

Gaige Grosskreutz — whose bicep was 'vaporized' by Kyle Rittenhouse — testifies he pointed gun at Rittenhouse before defendant fired at him



Gaige Grosskreutz — the man Kyle Rittenhouse wounded during summer 2020 rioting in Kenosha, Wisconsin — testified on Monday that he pointed a gun at Rittenhouse before Rittenhouse fired at him, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

What are the details?

Defense attorney Corey Chirafisi got Grosskreutz to admit that several statements he made to police after the shooting included incorrect details or omitted others, the paper said.

One big apparent omission was that Grosskreutz pointed a gun at Rittenhouse before Rittenhouse fired on him, the Journal Sentinel reported, adding that Grosskreutz initially told police he dropped his gun at some point during the incident, never mentioning he pointed it at Rittenhouse.

Here's part of that testimony, during which Grosskreutz says Rittenhouse "vaporized" his bicep:

Rittenhouse shooting victim confronted with video showing him pointing gun at defendantyoutu.be

Grosskreutz was carrying concealed a Glock that night but also said Monday that his concealed carry permit was expired at the time, the paper said.

Also Grosskreutz told prosecutors earlier Monday he attended the protests as a medic and wasn't trying to be an active participant, but the Journal Sentinel said Grosskreutz admitted upon further questioning that he spoke at a rally hosted by the Peoples Revolution — a Milwaukee-based group that has protested against police violence — and made statements such as, "Long live the revolution."

Grosskreutz said he's not a member of the group but has "an affiliation" with it, the paper added.

Grosskreutz said he saw Rittenhouse "re-rack" his rifle

Grosskreutz also said his failure to tell police he pointed his gun at Rittenhouse wasn't intentional, the Journal Sentinel reported, noting that police interviewed him after surgery while he was still on pain medication and coming down from the traumatic events of the shooting.

Grosskreutz also testified he put his hands in the air after Rittenhouse shot Anthony Huber and then saw Rittenhouse "re-rack" his rifle, the paper said, after which he figured Rittenhouse wouldn't "accept [his] surrender" and then moved toward Rittenhouse.

He also testified that he wasn't "intentionally" pointing his gun at Rittenhouse, the Journal Sentinel said.

"I was never trying to kill the defendant. That was never something that I was trying to do. In that moment, I was trying to preserve my own life," Grosskreutz testified, according to the paper. "But doing so while also taking the life of another is not something that I'm capable or comfortable of doing. That goes against almost a lifelong ethical code that I've lived by in regards to medicine."

Anything else?

Grosskreutz also denied ever saying his "only regret was not killing the kid" and that he wanted to empty his "entire mag" into Rittenhouse — comments a former roommate attributed to Grosskruetz, the Journal Sentinel said.

Townhall senior writer Julio Rosas tweeted that the former roommate in question — Jacob Marshall — "was in the courtroom but is now gone after being served a subpoena" and that the judge said officials "need to find out where Marshall is." Rosas added that Marshall is scheduled to testify Wednesday, citing the defense.

Rittenhouse trial judge SHUT DOWN prosecutor's IRRELEVANT 'evidence'



Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder paused during the murder trial of Kyle Rittenhouse to explain to the prosecution why the "evidence" presented on Wednesday was irrelevant.

In this clip, Steven Crowder pinpointed the critical moment when Judge Schroeder shut down the prosecution's attempt to present the jury with biased video footage from the Kenosha riots that broke out during the summer of 2020.

So what exactly prompted the judge to remove the jury and smack down the prosecutor?

Prosecutor: I understand the objection. The problem is how portions of the video have nothing to do with the defendant but describe the scene, and I am trying to give the jury a sense of the scene.

Judge: That is hearsay.

Prosecutor: I am not introducing anyone's statements for the truth of the matter asserted. I'm introducing it for the state of mind of the defendant as he watches the scene.

Judge: If it's not for the truth of the matter asserted, then it is irrelevant.

The judge explained that he admitted the prosecution's video based on a two-part rule. The first part of the rule, according to Judge Schroeder, requires evidence to prove the defendant was aware of the decedent's violent acts or turbulent behavior, and the other part is circumstantial evidence of the decedent's violent behavior at the time of the incident.

Watch the clip to see what Crowder had to say. Can't watch? Download the podcast here.


Shooting in Kenosha leaves 3 dead, 2 wounded; suspect at large



Three people were killed and two others were injured early Sunday morning from a shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The shooting happened at around 12:42 a.m. at the Somers House Tavern in Kenosha, where three people were pronounced dead at the scene. The two victims with gunshot wounds were taken to local hospitals with serious injuries.

NEW - 3 dead, 2 injured after shooting at Somers House Bar, in #Kenosha, Wisconsin. Suspect at large. https://t.co/PyoPwyyBuN
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@Disclose.tv 🚨)1618739604.0

Authorities provided few details about the shooting, only saying that the deadly incident "appears to be a targeted and isolated incident."

"We do not believe there is a threat to the community at this time," the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. "The names, ages, and cities of residence for the victims are still being determined."

Police, fire and EMS responding to the early morning scene at Somers House after the shooting #Kenosha #Wisconsin https://t.co/kMhPm7OI3z
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@Brendan Gutenschwager)1618748073.0

The suspect is still at large.

"The suspect is described as a black male over six feet tall wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt," Sgt. David Wright said in the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department's media release.

Sheriff David Beth gave a press conference on Sunday morning, and said the department wasn't ruling out the possibility of more than one person involved in the shooting, according to WTMJ-TV.

"I know that there was a confrontation obviously inside the building and I believe just outside the building there was another confrontation with gunfire," Beth said. "So there could be more than one, absolutely."

Sheriff Beth said he doesn't believe there is an active threat to the public, "I don't believe the people in this area are in harm's way because of this suspect not being captured."

"I don't know if the gunman was known to the victims, but I currently believe that the gunman knew who the victims were," Beth stated. "Whether the victims knew the gunman, I don't know that."

Sheriff Beth noted that he believes there were multiple handguns used in the shooting.

"I believe they were handguns," Beth said when asked about the type of firearms used in the shooting. "From the best I can determine, handguns were used here."

The shooting investigation is active, and police are asking that anyone with information should contact the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department.

Kenosha made national headlines last August when Kyle Rittenhouse shot two people dead and wounded another during riots in the city sparked by the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake.

3 killed, 2 injured in Somers bar shooting overnight, Kenosha County Sheriff says www.youtube.com


Attorney for cop who shot Jacob Blake says he thought Blake was kidnapping a child after hearing the mother's cries ​



An attorney for the police officer who shot Jacob Blake says that the officer believed he was kidnapping a child after hearing the mother's cries during the altercation.

The revelation comes from a CNN interview with the officer's attorney published on Friday.

The controversial police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, sparked protests and riots from Black Lives Matter supporters who accused the police of acting inappropriately. Blake was shot 7 times and hospitalized with serious injuries.

Police Officer Rusten Sheskey told investigators that he used deadly force because he believed that Blake was going to kidnap a child in the car that he was reaching into when Sheskey fired.

His attorney Brendan Matthews said that Sheskey heard the mother of the child yell, "he's got my kid! He's got my keys!"

Matthews added that the public would have demanded to know why the officer hadn't done anything if Blake had been allowed to get away in the car with the child in the backseat.

Sheskey is on paid administrative leave over the incident.

Matthews also said that Blake had a knife in his hand when Sheskey fired, and that he twisted towards the officer. He claims that the viral video of the incident does not capture these crucial details.

Matthews told CNN that a second officer told investigators a similar account to that of Sheskey, and he said that he would have also shot at Blake if he had a clearer shot at him.

Blake was paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries from the incident.

Investigators later said that an independent consultant would review the findings from the investigation, especially that having to do with whether police procedure was followed.

Here's more about the Blake shooting:

Independent consultant will review police shooting of Jacob Blakewww.youtube.com

From his hospital bed, Jacob Blake pleads 'Change y'all lives ... we can stick together, make some money, make everything easier for our people out here'



Jacob Blake issued a plea from his hospital bed, urging his supporters to change their lives.

A Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer reportedly shot Blake in the back seven times on Aug. 23 during a call for a domestic dispute. Blake's family has repeatedly said he is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the shooting.

Following Blake's shooting, riots and protests alike erupted in Kenosha, which led to a deadly shooting of two people on Aug. 25. More protest and riots continued across the U.S., putting further strain and pressure on police-community relations.

What are the details?

In a video tweet shared by his attorney, Benjamin Crump, Blake, 29, said that life can change on a dime.

"I just want to say, man, to all the young cats out there, and even the older ones, older than me, it's a lot more life to live out here, man," he said. "Your life and not only just your life, your legs, something that you need to move around and move forward in life, can be taken from you like this, man."

Blake added that he's in constant pain.

"I've got staples in my back, staples in my damn stomach," he continued. "You do not want to have to deal with this s***, man. Every 24 hours, it's pain, it's nothing but pain. It hurts to breathe, it hurts to sleep, it hurts to move from side to side. It hurts to eat."

He urged his supporters to change their lives, adding, "Please, I'm telling you, change y'all lives out there. We can stick together, make some money, make everything easier for our people out here, man, 'cause it's so much time that has been wasted."

#JacobBlake released this powerful video message from his hospital bed today, reminding everyone just how precious… https://t.co/pU9KVIw7wQ
— Ben Crump (@Ben Crump)1599351088.0

What else?

According to a recent report from the Kenosha Police Union, Blake reportedly confronted officers following a call about a domestic dispute. He allegedly placed one of the officers in a headlock, and was armed with a knife that he refused to drop.

All of this reportedly took place before the Kenosha officer opened fire on Blake as he attempted to get into his car. Officers reportedly said they saw a knife on the floor of the car. Blake's three children were in the backseat.

Kenosha Police Union attorney Brendan Matthews told WCCO-TV that Blake was reportedly at the residence of his ex-girlfriend, who accused him of a violent sexual assault in May.

The unnamed woman reportedly called authorities on that fateful day, alleging that her ex was attempting to steal both her keys and her vehicle.

Reports say that because of the alleged May assault, Blake was not supposed to be at her residence at all.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice continues to investigate the incident.

FULL STORY: Here's what Jacob Blake did three months before the Kenosha police shooting, riots

FULL STORY: Here's what Jacob Blake did three months before the Kenosha police shooting, riots

Kyle Rittenhouse's lawyer says Twitter locked him out of his account for 'glorifying violence': 'I'm going to take Jack Dorsey's a** down'



An attorney for Kyle Rittenhouse — the 17-year-old charged with fatally shooting two men amid Kenosha rioting last week — said he was locked out of his Twitter account for "glorifying violence" after he'd been tweeting about raising money for his client's legal defense, Fox News reported.

L. Lin Wood also told the cable network he intends to file a lawsuit against Twitter and its CEO Jack Dorsey.

"I'm going to take Jack Dorsey's ass down," Wood added to Fox News. "He has been abusing the First Amendment of this country for his own agenda."

What are the details?

Wood was locked out of his account for several hours Tuesday for violating Twitter rules — specifically for "glorifying violence," the cable network said, adding that Wood insisted he has been careful to abide by the social media giant's terms of service.

More from Fox News:

On Monday, Wood revealed on Twitter that more than 11,000 donors have raised $605,550 for the legal defense of Rittenhouse, who claims the shootings in Kenosha were self-defense.

A Twitter user asked if Wood would be selling or disclosing his donor list to other groups. Lin replied "No" and added "#fightback" in reference to the name of the legal fund foundation. That was his last tweet before getting locked out.

Wood also represents Nick Sandmann, Carter Page, St. Louis couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey, Dr. Simone Gold, and Georgia congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene, who posted that "Twitter is censoring" Wood:

.@Twitter is censoring my attorney @LLinWood .@jack why are conservatives being canceled on Twitter?We will not… https://t.co/RoCZNi3plH
— Marjorie Taylor Greene For Congress🇺🇸 (@Marjorie Taylor Greene For Congress🇺🇸)1598994417.0

"I was arrested today & confined in Twitter jail falsely accused of glorifying violence. I was exonerated this evening by a finding of 'incorrectly actioned.' I am free tonight," Wood tweeted Tuesday night after his account was reinstated.

He added: "Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested on 8/26 & is confined in Illinois jail falsely accused of murder. Kyle will be exonerated when truth is revealed by a finding of 'incorrectly actioned.' Kyle will be free soon."

What did Twitter have to say?

A Twitter spokesperson told Fox News it was all a big mistake: "This account was incorrectly actioned. This has been reversed, and the account has been reinstated."

Twitter has been criticized lately for double standards in its treatment of posts. During a July hearing on anti-Semitism, a Twitter representative defended his company's decision to not block tweets from Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for genocide while flagging tweets from President Donald Trump.

Wood told Fox News he wasn't surprised by what Twitter did to him: "I knew they were going to censor me because I'm sending a message of hope. I'm sending a message of truth. And I'm sending a message that Kyle Rittenhouse is innocent."

Wood added to the cable network that he now will rely on Parler, a newer social media service that has attracted conservatives tired of Twitter.

Et tu, Facebook?

TheBlaze recently reported that Facebook has banned users from sharing a crowdfunding link to assist with Rittenhouse's legal fee but allows fundraising posts for others charged with crimes — including murder — which makes it appear as though Facebook unfairly singling out Rittenhouse.

Anything else?

Another Rittenhouse attorney, John Pierce — who said his client acted in self-defense — shared video footage of a conversation he said was between him and Rittenhouse. The caller can be heard on the phone saying, "I just wanna thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart for the underlying support. I just want to thank all of you for the mail I've been receiving. It's been really helpful." The caller added, "I'm going to be out of here soon."

Rittenhouse is accused of killing two protesters and wounding a third on Aug. 25, the third night of the Kenosha riots. Violence erupted in the southern Wisconsin city after police shot Jacob Blake, a black man, on Aug. 23.

While leftists have — without evidence — resoundingly condemned Rittenhouse as a murderer and white supremacist, Elijah Shaffer of TheBlaze TV recorded an interview with Rittenhouse prior to the shootings that paints quite a different picture of the teen:

CONTEXT: I spoke with the alleged shooter earlier in the night who stated he was there to protect property He did… https://t.co/bQBG7ALvPJ
— ELIJAH RIOT (@ELIJAH RIOT)1598436810.0

Even the criminal complaint against Rittenhouse seems to read as though he acted in self-defense.