(Headline USA) A Tennessee Republican introduced a self-defense bill this week in honor of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old who was found not guilty last year for shooting and killing two men who were pursuing him during the Kenosha, Wisconsin, riots of 2020.
The bill, named Kyle’s Law, would require Tennessee to reimburse costs to defendants found not guilty of homicide charges due to having acted in self-defense. The payment amount would be decided by the court but could be denied if there was criminal activity involved, the legislation adds.
“If someone in Tennessee is placed in the same situation as Kyle Rittenhouse in the future, he/she can at least be financially compensated,” state Rep. Bruce Griffey told WZTV. “My bill will help deter what happened to Kyle Rittenhouse from happening to someone in Tennessee and will help protect the right of Tennesseans to self-defense.”
Griffey also introduced a proclamation to honor Rittenhouse as “a hero who selflessly defended his community, protected businesses, and acted lawfully in the face of lawlessness” and “a symbol of things that the Left is trying to destroy — our Constitution and our Second Amendment gun rights” who “provides a light of hope that we can fight back against the enemies of our Constitution and win.”
“Kyle Rittenhouse had to defend himself not only against a first-degree murder charge over the course of a year-plus politically motivated prosecution and a two-week jury trial but also against widespread defamation and false branding by corrupt media outlets, simply for exercising his American God-given right to self-defense,” Griffey said.
On Nov. 19, Rittenhouse was found not guilty of five charges, including intentional homicide, in relation to his fatal shooting of two men and the injuring of a third during the Kenosha riots. The prosecution attempted to make Rittenhouse out to be a cold-blooded murderer, while the defense argued he was acting in self-defense.
