Douglass Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Drive. | Facebook

Interim Supt. Rosa Escareno said the $4 million hike allows “program expansion in youth athletics, the development of five new nature play spaces” and “continued improvements and upgrades to fieldhouses and park facilities.”

The Chicago Park District will raise property taxes by $4.3 million to restore programming and staffing to pre-pandemic levels, but hold the line on recreational fees, under a $510.9 million 2022 budget unveiled Wednesday.

Interim Supt. Rosa Escareno delivered her first budget address less than a month after replacing Mike Kelly, who was forced out after being accused of sitting on and lying about sexual harassment and abuse of lifeguards at the city’s pools and beaches.

The lifeguard scandal was the elephant in the room at the monthly board meeting, even before the board adjourned to executive session to discuss personnel matters.

Escareno looked the elephant squarely in the eye when she told the board the Park District “faces new and serious challenges” the budget will address.

“I know that we have failed too many of our staff and eroded trust with the community. This will not be tolerated. The moment requires action, change, reform and vision,” Escareno said.

“That is why, as part of our plan to restore trust with our employees and the community, we will establish a new Office of Protection. This office will intake and investigate all allegations of prohibited discrimination, harassment and abuse. … I look forward to working with you to ensure that it is appropriately funded to enact change.”

To end a frat-boy culture that has been tolerated and encouraged for decades, Escareno said the Park District will “amplify the depth and volume of staff training” to ensure all employees are “prepared to identify, prevent and report” misconduct.

“Awareness, compassion and support will be the hallmark of our organization. Every Chicago Park District employee will have the proper tools and training and will carry a responsibility to be there for their colleagues and the residents they serve,” Escareno said.

“By the end of this year, more than 3,000 park staff members will have participated in sexual harassment training. But, this work is far from over.”

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Chicago Park District Interim General Superintendent and CEO Rosa Escareno speaks to reporters during a press conference at Jesse White Park on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.

The $4 million property tax increase is only the fifth in 16 years for the Park District.

It’s expected to cost what Escareno called the “average homeowner” an extra $4 a year.

“The cost of a cup of coffee,” she said.

“This increase will allow the Park District to make additional investments, such as program expansion in youth athletics, the development of five new nature play spaces, continued improvements and upgrades to fieldhouses and park facilities across the city.”

Last year, the coronavirus pandemic forced the Park District to shut down some of its in-person programs and go virtual even as it continued to serve 48,000 young people across the city.

That cost the district $85 million in revenue, including $13 million in program fees.

The 2022 budget will restore park programs to pre-pandemic levels and then some.

The $126 million investment in 2022 programming represents an $8 million increase from last year.

It will allow the Park District to restore an array of popular programs “greatly minimized or suspended” during the pandemic, including Inner City Hoops; Girls Fast Pitch Softball and Junior Bears as well as the Park Kids and Summer Day Camp.

New sports programs delayed by the pandemic will also launch in 2022.

Among them: a citywide wrestling program; “Soccer for Success,” an after-school program at 11 parks with mini-pitches serving 1,000 kids; “Culture in my Neighborhood,” a joint venture with the Chicago Public Library and the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; and an expansion of girls sports programming through the “Go Girls Go” Camp and “Girls Play” programs.

“I am proud that we are able to offer all these programs without an increase in fees, ensuring that our services remain accessible and affordable in the coming year,” Escareno told the board.

“In addition, in 2022 families in need will have access to more than $2.8 million in financial assistance. No child will be excluded from programming due to their inability to pay. In 2019, this fund sent nearly 4,300 children to day camp, made it possible for 1,100 kids to learn to swim and enabled more than 1,500 families to access vital after-school programming. We look forward to supporting these families and kids again.”

The budget also allocates $8.8 million more toward the Park District pension fund for a total pension contribution of $52 million.

Next year will be the third year of a four-year ramp-up to actuarial-based contributions that will put the Park Employees & Retirement Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund on the road to full funding.

The 2020 pension reform bill approved by the Illinois General Assembly created a “third-tier” of employees and “gave optional election to Tier 2 employees,” officials said.

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Steelers running back Najee Harris runs for a touchdown against the Bears on Monday. | Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

At the midway point of the NFL season, they rank in the bottom half of the league in most major defensive categories The 348.9 yards per game they allow is 13th-best in the NFL, but even that is misleading; they allow 5.64 yards per play, which ranks 20th.

The Steelers took over possession with 1:46 to play Monday night needing to drive about 40 yards — from their 25 to the Bears’ 35 or so — to set up a game-winning field goal for Chris Boswell, who’s yet to miss a kick from 50-plus yards all season.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy didn’t have a long conversation with first-year defensive coordinator Sean Desai beforehand. Both knew what had to be done.

“Sean knows we were really excited going into that drive,” Nagy said. “Very confident. Felt good about, ‘Hey, man, here’s where they’re at. They’ve got the one timeout, they’ve got to get a field goal to win it.’

“Schematically, with what we do, we want to make sure that we keep them inbounds and wrap up.”

The Bears didn’t. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who at 39 labors to throw the ball deep, was rarely in danger. He completed passes of 4, 12 and 22 yards on the first three plays — the Bears were offside twice, and the Steelers accepted the penalty once — and, after a Steelers false start, threw a 13-yard completion to tight end Pat Freiermuth.

By the time Roethlisberger spiked the ball to stop the clock, the Steelers had the ball at the Bears’ 23. They didn’t even have to burn a timeout. They soon kicked the game-winner.

“Those are moments that we’ve got to understand where we’re at,” Nagy said. “You get a quarterback like Ben Roethlisberger, he can make you pay,”

Maybe so. But it’s been years since Roethlisberger has been among the league’s elite.

The Bears can say the same thing about their defense.

At the midway point of the NFL season, they rank in the bottom half of the league in most major defensive categories The 348.9 yards per game they allow is 13th-best in the NFL, but even that is misleading; they allow 5.64 yards per play, which ranks 20th. Their per-game number is buoyed by a run-first Bears offense that drains the clock.

The Steelers averaged only 4.2 yards per play Monday, the fewest the Bears allowed all season. Still, they scored three touchdowns and three field goals over 12 possessions — and only turned the ball over once, on a punt return.

“We didn’t get the takeaways,” Nagy said. “We had not a lot of yards — but gave up points and lost the game. … In the end, we didn’t finish, and gave them the chance to make that field goal in the end and win it.”

The four-game losing streak has brought out the worst in the Bears defense — albeit against a slate of opposing quarterbacks that include Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Roethlisberger.

During the skid, the Bears have given up 14 touchdowns — the third-most in the NFL, behind the Jets and Texans. They’ve given up nine field goals, the third-most.

They’ve allowed a passer rating of 110.7, the fourth-worst mark in the league; in Games 1-5, they ranked 19th with a 95.8 passer rating allowed.

They haven’t taken the ball away, either. After totaling seven takeaways over the first five games — which resulted in two touchdowns and two field goals on the ensuing drives — they have two on defense over the past four games. DeAndre Houston-Carson claims both — one interception and one fumble recovery — though he also returned a fumble for a touchdown in punt coverage Monday.

The Bears are worn down. In Games 1-5, their defense allowed 3.93 rushing yards per attempt, the eighth-best mark in the league; in the four since, their 4.86 rushing yards ranks 29th. In Games 1-5, they allowed 1,143 passing yards, the 12th-fewest in the NFL. Since then, their 892 yards allowed ranks 21st.

The past two weeks have been particularly egregious. In Week 8, the 49ers had eight possessions, not counting kneel downs, and scored on seven of them. The only outlier was a missed field goal.

Last week, safety Tashaun Gipson called that effort “tougher than Rams week.” In the season opener, the Rams did exactly what the 49ers did, scoring on all but one possession that didn’t end in a kneel down. They hung 34 points on the Bears — one more than the 49ers.

“Rams week was just more like brain farts, things that guys probably normally wouldn’t do, that we did,” Gipson said. “This was more of us going out there, putting it on tape — [not running] to the ball, guys doing uncharacteristic things in terms of just a technique standpoint.

“Those are things you can control.”

It’s no coincidence that the Bears have played the last two games without star outside linebacker Khalil Mack, who has a foot injury, and all but two snaps during that span without safety Eddie Jackson, who hurt his hamstring against the 49ers.

“Certain people are irreplaceable, obviously,” Gipson said. “When you lose guys like Khalil, I think any defense would suffer if you lose a guy like 52. You lose another playmaker in a guy like Eddie, that’s tough. Obviously we’ve got guys on the back end that can come in and play, but you’re losing two of your better players on defense …

“Mack, he brings so much to the game. Not even just what he brings physically, what he can do, but just the aura of his presence being out there. So obviously, you lose that, it’s tough.”

Both could return to face the Ravens after the bye. Even if they do, though, the Bears defense is trending in the wrong direction.

The second half of the season could create the possibility of a Bizarro Bears team — one in which the defensive effort disappoints the team’s offensive players. That’s how inside linebacker Roquan Smith felt after Boswell made his game-winning touchdown.

“Honestly and truly, we let those guys down,” he said.

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Staying at home for Thanksgiving is overrated! Let’s go check out the best restaurants open on Thanksgiving in Chicago and pamper ourselves! Of course, you can challenge your ultimate cooking talent with chef-provided side recipes at home. But… we think we’re going out on Thanksgiving Day. Yup. We definitely are.

817 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607

Throw in the apron this year and let BLVD Steakhouse in Chicago do all the cooking for you. Chef Johnny Besch has prepared a special menu full of Thanksgiving favorites for pickup Nov. 24-25 with offerings like Confit Turkey Legs, Brussel Sprouts and Pumpkin Pie featuring Pumpkin Custard, Gingersnap Crumble, Chai Spiced Chantilly Cream and Cranberry Shrub. Make orders now by visiting BLVD on Tock at www.exploretock.com/blvd.

205 N Peoria St, Chicago, IL 60607

This Thanksgiving, grab your friends and family and head to West Loop hotspot, PB&J! Priced at $25.00 a person, PB&J is offering guests a three-course dinner featuring Butternut Squash Soup, Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Cranberry, Gravy, and a Apple or Pumpkin Pie dessert. Dinner rolls will also be available and served after drinks! Looking to kick it up a notch? PB&J is offering bottles of wine for $25.00 each!

400 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

Located in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, The Smith is offering diners the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner experience. This Thanksgiving Day, diners can indulge in a special three-course prix fixe menu featuring your choice of turkey three ways — roasted breast, braised leg, or turkey pot pie, along with other options for non-turkey lovers. Priced at $72.00 a person, reservations and the full menu is now available on their website here.

Additionally, for those looking to dine at their own home, diners can order their special menu for delivery.

330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Luxe lounge & eatery in the Langham Hotel, Travelle will be open on Thanksgiving night with a four-course Thanksgiving meal.

Your dinner will start with Veloute of Celeriac with rosemary ham, celery and truffled delice, followed by Foie de Poulet, concord grapes, bitter greens with lemon rosemary. The main course includes Green Circle Turkey Breast and Guajillo Chile Carnitas. Side offerings include stuffing, Brussels sprouts, corn and sweet potato casserole. Finally, conclude your night with Pastry Chef Nitin’s delectable Maple Ganache, cinnamon tuile, salted caramel ice cream and candied almonds.

The pricing is $110.00 adult and $60.00 per child 5 to 12 years old. Make your reservation here.

12 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603

Looking to have a fun and unique Thanksgiving dinner? Check out the famous Cherry Circle Room! This all-time favorite is open on Thanksgiving Day featuring a four-course prix-fixe menu with all the classic items from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The meal is $90 per person regularly or $80 for the vegetarian options. You can also add on the drink package for $50 per person.

Make your reservation here.

60 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Joe’s Seafood is open on Thanksgiving Day serving a Thanksgiving Dinner where guests can enjoy Sliced Turkey Breast with leg and thigh confit and pan gravy, alongside all the fixings including Classic Stuffing with sausage, Jennie’s Mashed Potatoes, Citrus Cranberry Relish, Green Beans, Butternut Squash with Toasted Marshmallow, and a slice of Pumpkin Chiffon Pie for dessert.

The menu is $64.95, plus tax (gratuity not included) for adults, $34.95, plus tax (gratuity not included) for children aged 5 – 12, and no charge for the youngest guests aged 4 and younger. Joe’s will also offer its regular menu in addition to the Thanksgiving menu. Reservations are required. View Joe’s Seafood Thanksgiving menu.

Locations: Chicago , Schaumburg

Shaw’s – Chicago and Shaw’s – Schaumburg will be open on Thanksgiving Day serving a seafood feast. Enjoy the a la carte Shaw’s menu full of fresh seafood, prime steaks, and Alaskan King Crab Legs. In addition to Shaw’s classics, the team will also offer traditional Thanksgiving specials for the holiday such as Herb Roasted Turkey, Traditional Brioche Stuffing, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin Pie and more.

Image Credit: Farmhouse

703 Church St, Evanston, IL 60201

Farmhouse is changing your Thanksgiving tradition by hosting a Thanksgiving buffet on Nov. 25th from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. Originating in 2011 with the opening of Farmhouse Tavern in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Farmheads is a hospitality group with the mission of offering affordable, approachable Midwestern fare based on locally sourced and sustainable ingredients.

The Thanksgiving buffet is $45 per person, or $21 for children 10 and under. The feast will feature classic dishes such as autumn salad, turkey stuffings, brown sugar maple-glazed ham, prime ribs, seared salmon, and more.

Make your reservation here.

127 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654

Igloos, cocktail towers, luxurious food… I|O Godfrey is dedicated to bringing you the most unforgettable Thanksgiving this year. On Thursday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, I|O Godfrey will be open for Thanksgiving buffet dine-in. The menu features a premium carving station of turkey and prime ribs, an all-you-can-eat side buffet including mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and a full-sized dessert bar.

The buffet is $59 per adult and $15 per child. Make a reservation here.

All locations.

Wildfire locations will be open on Thanksgiving Day serving a family-style Thanksgiving Menu featuring Roasted Turkey, Glazed Salmon, Beef Tenderloin and all of the traditional Thanksgiving side dishes. The menu is $59.95 per person and $27.95 for children aged 12 and under, plus tax (gratuity not included). Gluten-free dishes are also available. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the restaurant. View the Wildfire Thanksgiving menu or make a reservation at the Wildfire location nearest you.

81 E Wacker Pl, Chicago, IL 60601

Not in the mood of a special Thanksgiving celebration but just want to go somewhere fun to chill? We’ve got you. Bar Pendry will open as usual from 11:00 am to 12:00 am on Thanksgiving Day with their regular menu. Don’t stress about putting on a feast. Come here and enjoy some boozy tea and yummy snacks and just chill.

The Lobby at Ace Hotel Chicago

311 N Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607

Gather at Ace Hotel Chicago with a festive and generous dining experience where each guest will have a choice of protein, turkey, beef, or squash (vegetarian) for their Thanksgiving meal. Proteins will be plated and sauced with the remainder of the menu to be served family-style at the table. Bread & Butter will also be served. Full menu selections can be found below.

The Thanksgiving menu will replace the regular menu on Thursday, November 25th; 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The price is $85 per person or $25 per child who is bewtween 5-12 years old. Children under 5 eat for free. Simply walk in or make a reservation here.

Choice of Entree

Roasted Turkey Breast, braised turkey leg
Smoked Tri Tip, pearl onions and au jus
Roasted Squash with salsa matcha

Choice of Dessert

Caramel Apple Brown Betty
Pumpkin Cheesecake

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The Chicago Bears had to settle for a moral victory against Pittsburgh despite suffering a heartbreaking loss. Heartbreak came when the Bears battled back after being down 20-6 to briefly hold a late lead. It was lost on a game-winning field goal by Steelers’ kicker Chris Boswell. The crushing defeat was sealed when Cairo Santos’ last-second […] Chicago Bears: The good and bad from Monday Night Football – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

Kyle Rittenhouse responded “no” when asked by his attorney whether he came to Kenosha looking for trouble in the summer of 2020. | Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News via AP pool

Rittenhouse is on trial on charges of killing two men and wounding a third during unrest that erupted in the summer of 2020 over the wounding of a Black man by a white Kenosha police officer.

KENOSHA, Wis. — Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand at his murder trial Wednesday and said he was under attack when he shot three men during a night of turbulent protests in Kenosha. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself,” he said.

The 18-year-old Rittenhouse sobbed so hard at one point that the judge declared a break. But otherwise, he was composed on the stand, even as he was being cross-examined so aggressively that the judge berated the chief prosecutor with the jury out of the room.

Rittenhouse is on trial on charges of killing two men and wounding a third during unrest that erupted in the summer of 2020 over the wounding of a Black man by a white Kenosha police officer.

He could get life in prison if convicted of the most serious charges against him.

Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time, went to Kenosha with an AK-style semi-automatic weapon and a medic bag in what he said was an attempt to protect property from rioters who had set fires and ransacked businesses in the two preceding nights.

Rittenhouse said he fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum after Rosenbaum chased him and put his hand on the barrel of Rittenhouse’s rifle. Then Rittenhouse shot and killed Anthony Huber, testifying he opened fire after Huber struck him in the neck with a skateboard and grabbed his rifle.

When a third man, Gaige Grosskreutz, “lunges at me with his pistol pointed directly at my head,” Rittenhouse shot him, too, wounding him.

“I didn’t intend to kill them, I intended to stop the people who were attacking me,” Rittenhouse said.

During Rittenhouse’s testimony, Judge Bruce Schroeder lashed out at prosecutor Thomas Binger for questioning Rittenhouse about whether it was appropriate to use deadly force to protect property. The judge heatedly accused Binger of improperly trying to introduce testimony that he had earlier said he was inclined to prohibit.

Rittenhouse attorney Mark Richards suggested Binger might be attempting to provoke a mistrial with his line of questioning.

The case against Rittenhouse has divided Americans over whether he was a patriot taking a stand against lawlessness or a vigilante.

Much of the testimony Wednesday was centered on the first shooting of the night, since it was Rosenbaum’s death that set in motion that bloodshed that followed.

Rittenhouse said he was walking toward a Car Source lot with a fire extinguisher to put out a fire when “I hear somebody scream, ‘Burn in hell!’ And I respond with ‘Friendly, friendly, friendly!'”

He said Rosenbaum was running at him from one side and another protester with a gun in front of him, “and I was cornered.” He said that’s when he began to run.

He said another protester, Joshua Ziminski, told Rosenbaum, “Get him and kill him.”

Rittenhouse said he heard a gunshot directly behind him, and as he turned around, Rosenbaum was coming at him with his arms out in front of him. “I remember his hand on the barrel of my gun,” Rittenhouse said.

“I shoot him,” he recounted. He also said he thought the object Rosenbaum threw during the chase — a plastic hospital bag — was the chain he had seen Rosenbaum carrying earlier.

Rittenhouse said he intended to help Rosenbaum but was in shock as someone else attended to him. Rittenhouse said he thought the “safest option” was to turn himself in to police who were on nearby.

Asked by his lawyer why he didn’t keep running away from Rosenbaum, Rittenhouse said: “There was no space for me to continue to run to.”

Rittenhouse said that earlier that night, Rosenbaum was holding a chain and had twice threatened to kill him.

Apologizing to the court for his language, Rittenhouse said Rosenbaum was walking down the street with the chain and screamed, “If I catch any of you (expletives) alone I’m going to (expletive) kill you!”

And later that night, he testified, Rosenbaum said: “I’m going to cut your (expletive) hearts out! Rittenhouse said Rosenbaum also called them “N-words.” But he said he didn’t want to repeat the word in court.

As he first took the stand, Rittenhouse responded no when asked by his attorney whether he came to Kenosha looking for trouble.

Rittenhouse testified that he saw videos of violence in downtown Kenosha on Aug. 24, 2020, the day before the shootings, including a brick being thrown at a police officer’s head and cars burning in a Car Source dealership lot.

Rittenhouse said the Car Source owner “was happy we were there.”

Rittenhouse’s decision to testify came despite several legal experts saying that an underwhelming prosecution case had made it less likely he would need to do so.

Prosecutors used 5 1/2 days of testimony to try to portray Rittenhouse as the aggressor on the night of the shootings. But the prosecution’s witnesses often bolstered the young man’s claim of self-defense, including his fear that his weapon would be taken away and used against him.

The jurors were sent out of the room just before Rittenhouse began testifying while the judge explained his right to remain silent and the potential risks of testifying, Rittenhouse repeatedly answering that he understood.

As jurors reentered the room, they filed by Rittenhouse on the stand. As Rittenhouse began answering questions, some jurors appeared to take extensive notes on their clipboards.

___

Bauer reported from Madison, Wisconsin; Foody from Chicago. Associated Press writer Tammy Webber contributed from Fenton, Michigan.

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Kyle Rittenhouse responded “no” when asked by his attorney whether he came to Kenosha looking for trouble in the summer of 2020. | Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News via AP pool

Rittenhouse testified the first man he shot and killed had twice threatened to kill him.

KENOSHA, Wis. — Sobbing so hard at one point that the judge called a break, Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand at his murder trial Wednesday and said he was under attack when he shot three men during a night of turbulent protests in Kenosha.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself,” he said

Rittenhouse, 18, is on trial on charges of killing two men and wounding a third during a chaotic protest in the summer of 2020 that was set off by the wounding of a Black man by a white Kenosha police officer.

He could get life in prison if convicted of the most serious charges against him.

Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time, went to Kenosha with an AK-style semi-automatic weapon and a medic bag in what he said was an attempt to protect property from rioters who had set fires and ransacked businesses in the two preceding nights.

Rittenhouse said he fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum after Rosenbaum chased him and put his hand on the barrel of Rittenhouse’s rifle. Then he shot and killed Anthony Huber, testifying that he opened fire after Huber struck him in the neck with his skateboard and grabbed his rifle.

When a third man, Gaige Grosskreutz, “lunges at me with his pistol pointed directly at my head,” Rittenhouse shot him, too, wounding him.

“I didn’t intend to kill them, I intended to stop the people who were attacking me,” Rittenhouse said.

Much of the testimony was centered on the first shooting of the night, since it was Rosenbaum’s death that set in motion that bloodshed that followed.

Rittenhouse said he was walking toward a Car Source lot with a fire extinguisher to put out a fire when “I hear somebody scream, ‘Burn in hell!’ And I respond with ‘Friendly, friendly, friendly!'”

He said Rosenbaum was running at him from one side and another protester with a gun in front of him, “and I was cornered.” He said that’s when he began to run.

He said another protester, Joshua Ziminski, told Rosenbaum, “Get him and kill him.”

Rittenhouse said he heard a gunshot directly behind him, and as he turned around, Rosenbaum was coming at him with his arms out in front of him. “I remember his hand on the barrel of my gun,” Rittenhouse said.

“I shoot him,” he recounted. He also said he thought the object Rosenbaum threw during the chase — a plastic hospital bag — was the chain he had seen Rosenbaum carrying earlier.

Rittenhouse said he intended to help Rosenbaum but was in shock as someone else attended to him. Rittenhouse said he thought the “safest option” was to turn himself in to police who were on nearby.

When defense attorney Mark Richards asked Rittenhouse why he didn’t keep running away from Rosenbaum, he said: “There was no space for me to continue to run to.”

Rittenhouse said that earlier that night, Rosenbaum was holding a chain and had twice threatened to kill him.

Apologizing to the court for his language, Rittenhouse said Rosenbaum was walking down the street with the chain and screamed, “If I catch any of you (expletives) alone I’m going to (expletive) kill you!”

And later that night, he testified, Rosenbaum said: “I’m going to cut your (expletive) hearts out! Rittenhouse said Rosenbaum also called them “N-words.” But he said he didn’t want to repeat the word in court.

As he first took the stand, Rittenhouse responded no when asked by his attorney whether he came to Kenosha looking for trouble.

Rittenhouse testified that he saw videos of violence in downtown Kenosha on Aug. 24, 2020, the day before the shootings, including a brick being thrown at a police officer’s head and cars burning in a Car Source dealership lot.

Rittenhouse said the Car Source owner “was happy we were there.”

Rittenhouse’s decision to testify came despite several legal experts saying that an underwhelming prosecution case had made it less likely he would need to do so.

Prosecutors used 5 1/2 days of testimony to try to portray Rittenhouse as the aggressor on the night of the shootings. But the prosecution’s witnesses often bolstered the young man’s claim of self-defense, including his fear that his weapon would be taken away and used against him.

The jurors were sent out of the room just before Rittenhouse began testifying while the judge explained his right to remain silent and the potential risks of testifying, Rittenhouse repeatedly answering that he understood.

As jurors reentered the room, they filed by Rittenhouse on the stand. As Rittenhouse began answering questions, some jurors appeared to take extensive notes on their clipboards.

___

Bauer reported from Madison, Wisconsin; Foody from Chicago. Associated Press writer Tammy Webber contributed from Fenton, Michigan.

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The White Sox are one of the most famous teams ever to feature in the annals of baseball. Their aptitude for the game is known both across America and around the world as being one of the very best in class – and it’s easy to see why. 

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Kyle Rittenhouse responded “no” when asked by his attorney whether he came to Kenosha looking for trouble in the summer of 2020. | Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News via AP pool

Rittenhouse testified the first man he shot and killed had twice threatened to kill him.

KENOSHA, Wis. — Kyle Rittenhouse broke down in tears on the witness stand at his murder trial Wednesday as he described how he was being pursued by the first man he shot and killed during a night of turbulent protests in Kenosha.

Rittenhouse, now 18, said he was walking toward a Car Source lot with a fire extinguisher to put out a fire when “I hear somebody scream, ‘Burn in hell!’ And I respond with ‘Friendly, friendly, friendly!”

He said Joseph Rosenbaum was running at him from one side and another protester with a gun in front of him, “and I was cornered.” He said that’s when he began to run.

Rittenhouse began to sob, and the judge called for a break in testimony to allow him to regain his composure.

On a courtroom bench across the room, Rittenhouse’s mother, Wendy Rittenhouse sobbed loudly as she watched her son apparently unable to speak further. Someone sitting next to her put an arm around her.

During his testimony, he said Rosenbaum was holding a chain at one point and twice threatened to kill him.

Apologizing to the court for his language, Rittenhouse said Rosenbaum was walking down the street with his chain and screamed, “If I catch any of you (expletives) alone I’m going to (expletive) kill you!”

And later that night, he testified, Rosenbaum said: “I’m going to cut your (expletive) hearts out! Rittenhouse said Rosenbaum also called them “N-words.” But he said he didn’t want to repeat the word in court.

Rittenhouse, who is charged with killing two men during a protest against racial injustice in the summer of 2020, responded no when asked by his attorney whether he came to Kenosha looking for trouble.

The former police youth cadet was 17 when he went to Kenosha with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle and a medical kit in what he has said was an effort to safeguard property from the unrest that broke out over the wounding of a Black man by a white Kenosha police officer.

Rittenhouse appeared composed at first as he gave answers in a matter-of-fact tone to questions from defense attorney Mark Richards.

Rittenhouse testified that he saw videos of violence in downtown Kenosha on Aug. 24, 2020, the day before the shootings, including a brick being thrown at a police officer’s head and cars burning in a Car Source dealership lot.

Rittenhouse said the Car Source owner “was happy we were there” and gave permission for the group to be there.

Rittenhouse’s decision to testify came despite several legal experts saying that an underwhelming prosecution case had made it less likely he would need to do so.

Prosecutors used 5 1/2 days of testimony to try to portray Rittenhouse as the aggressor on the night of the shootings. But the prosecution’s witnesses often bolstered the young man’s claim of self-defense, including his fear that his weapon would be taken away and used against him.

The jurors were sent out of the room just before Rittenhouse began testifying while the judge explained his right to remain silent and the potential risks of testifying, Rittenhouse repeatedly answering that he understood.

As jurors reentered the room, they filed by Rittenhouse on the stand. As Rittenhouse began answering questions, some jurors appeared to take extensive notes on their clipboards.

Rittenhouse could get life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge against him.

Rittenhouse shot and killed 36-year-old Rosenbaum at close range. Then, as members of the crowd set upon him, he killed Anthony Huber, a 26-year-old protester seen on video clubbing Rittenhouse with a skateboard.

Rittenhouse then wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, a 27-year-old protester and volunteer medic who admitted pointing his own gun at Rittenhouse just before he was shot.

While Rittenhouse is white, as were those he shot, the case has stirred debate over vigilantism, the right to bear arms and the unrest that erupted around the U.S. that summer over the killing of George Floyd and other police violence against Black people.

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