Two men shot in August during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, have separately filed $10 million lawsuits against Kenosha County and the city, claiming officials there were negligent in how they responded to the street violence.
The two were shot by 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse on August 25. Anthony Huber was killed. His parents filed one of the lawsuits. Gaige Grosskreutz, who was seen on video brandishing a firearm near Rittenhouse, was shot in the arm.
Rittenhouse, now 18, is charged with five felonies, including first-degree murder. He is free on $2 million bail. His lawyers claim he shot the two in self-defense.
Kimberly Motley, a lawyer who represents Grosskreutz, said the actions or lack thereof by local officials contributed to the shootings.
“We believe there was some level of negligence on behalf of the city and county,” she told USA Today newspaper.
The newspaper reported that the claims “lack details typically found in civil suits” because, Motley said, “the plaintiffs don’t want to interfere with the ongoing prosecution of Rittenhouse.”
The unrest in Kenosha was sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, while officers tried to arrest him. Blake was shot multiple times in the back and was left partially paralyzed.
A decision about charging the officers involved in the Blake shooting is expected in the next two weeks, prompting Kenosha officials to prepare for more protests.
