The only surviving victim shot by Kyle Rittenhouse has filed a lawsuit against the City of Kenosha and its police department alleging officers “deputized a roving militia.”
Attorneys for Gaige Grosskreutz on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, court records show.
The suit names the defendants in the lawsuit as the City of Kenosha, Kenosha County, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth, former Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis, acting Kenosha Police Chief Eric Larson, and officers of the Kenosha Police Department.
The lawsuit claims that Kenosha law enforcement officers and “white nationalist militia persons” discussed and coordinated strategy.
“It was not a mistake that Kyle Rittenhouse would kill two people and maim a third on that evening,” Grosskreutz’s attorneys said.
His attorney’s added that it was “a natural consequence of the actions” of the Kenosha Police Department and Kenosha County Sherriff’s office in “deputizing a roving militia to ‘protect property’ and ‘assist in maintaining order.'”
Grosskreutz was one of three people that Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, formerly of Antioch, shot during the August 2020 protests, which were sparked after a Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake multiple times.
The two other people shot by Rittenhouse were Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum. Both died from their injuries.
In the lawsuit, Grosskreutz’s attorneys called Huber “a hero” who approached Rittenhouse to “disarm him, stop the shooting and save the lives of others” when Rittenhouse shot him in the chest.
Attorneys claim Rittenhouse then shot Grosskreutz after the man approached Rittenhouse with his “hands in the air in an effort to show that he was not attacking Rittenhouse.”
Grosskreutz’s life “has changed immeasurably” after he was shot in the arm by Rittenhouse, the lawsuit states.
“Defendants did nothing to stop Rittenhouse’s illegal conduct. They did not arrest him for illegally carrying a gun. They did not disarm him. They did not limit his movement in any way. They did not question him. They did not stop him from shooting individuals after he started. They did not arrest him, detain him, or question him even after he had killed two people and nearly killed Grosskreutz.” the lawsuit said.
“Instead, Defendants deputized Rittenhouse and other armed individuals, conspired with them, and ratified their actions by allowing them to patrol the streets armed illegally with deadly weapons and shoot and kill innocent citizens,” the lawsuit added.
The 33-page complaint demands a jury trial and asks the court to award Grosskreutz “all appropriate relief at law” and compensatory and punitive damages.
Rittenhouse’s trial is expected to begin November 1 and a motion hearing is scheduled for October 25.