SC’s top prosecutor Alan Wilson seen eating lunch with Kyle Rittenhouse at Maurice’s
South Carolina’s top prosecutor Alan Wilson reportedly met Thursday with Kyle Rittenhouse, who in November was acquitted on charges for shooting three men, killing two of them during protests over police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
A WIS-TV reporter tweeted photos Thursday, saying the Attorney General Wilson was seen eating lunch with Rittenhouse at Maurice’s Piggie Park BBQ on Elmwood Avenue near downtown Columbia, and a video of Rittenhouse walking with an unidentified individual down Elmwood Avenue.
“When Wilson was asked why he was meeting with Rittenhouse he told WIS he was just getting lunch as he drove away,” the television station reported. “Rittenhouse did not respond to shouted questions as to why he was in town, but a person with him said he was meeting with his lawyer as he walked away from cameras.”
The Attorney General’s Office has not responded to repeated requests for comment about the reported meeting.
Rittenhouse, 18, was acquitted of his charges in November after he argued he fired at the three men in self-defense after he was attacked. He was charged with homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering after he killed two people and wounded a third during protests last year. The protests were over the shooting Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a white police officer.
“He wants to get on with his life,” defense attorney Mark Richards said after Rittenhouse was acquitted, the Associated Press reported. “He has a huge sense of relief for what the jury did to him today. He wishes none of this ever happened. But as he said when he testified, he did not start this.”
Rittenhouse gained national notoriety after his arrest, during his trial and after his acquittal. On one side, he was hailed as a prime example of the right to self defend, and on the other criticized as an example of the differences in how white people and Black people experience the justice system.
Since his acquittal, Rittenhouse has made several high-profile visits, including an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and a meeting with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
As the South Carolina’s top prosecutor, Wilson, who also is the chairman of the Republican Attorney General Association, has a large role overseeing the prosecution of criminal cases and activities of the State Grand Jury, to name a couple of responsibilities.
Wilson has often been criticized by particularly Democrats for his involvement in national lawsuits seeking to stop policies pushed by, as recently, the Biden administration. The WIS-TV video and photos renewed that criticism, including fromDemocratic state lawmakers and the chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 9, 2021 at 3:25 PM with the headline "SC’s top prosecutor Alan Wilson seen eating lunch with Kyle Rittenhouse at Maurice’s."
