Juror in Kyle Rittenhouse trial removed over joke about Jacob Blake shooting
The judge presiding over the Kyle Rittenhouse trial has dismissed a juror who joked with a courtroom deputy about why Kenosha, Wisconsin, police shot Jacob Blake — the incident that prompted the protests that led to Rittenhouse shooting three people, killing two of them.
Prosecutors said the juror asked a courtroom deputy, "Why did the Kenosha police shoot Jacob Blake seven times? Because they ran out of bullets," saying the joke shows poor taste, and showed racial bias, CBS Chicago reports.
The judge questioned that juror, asking the juror to repeat the joke, but he wouldn't do so, and the judge removed him from the jury.
Judge Bruce Schroeder said it was important to maintain public confidence in the case, and removing the juror was necessary. That leaves a 19-person jury for the trial — 12 primary jurors and seven alternates.
Rittenhouse is accused of shooting three people, killing two, during protests in Kenosha. The trial is expected to last two to three weeks.
