NAACP president says Rittenhouse trial was a "warning shot" that "vigilante justice" can be allowed
CBSN
Washington — NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said Kyle Rittenhouse's trial was a "warning shot" for Black communities that "vigilante justice" can be allowed in this country or "in particular communities." Rittenhouse was found not guilty on Friday on all charges in the August 2020 shootings of three men, including two who were killed, amid protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"It's hard for African-Americans to reconcile what we witnessed in that trial. We have far too many individuals sitting in jail for crimes they didn't commit or overcharged for crimes that were committed," Johnson said during an interview with "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
Johnson said the "current political environment" and former President Trump's administration "opened the door" for the case to become politicized. Johnson said the only resolution is to have "mature politicians willing to stand up, regardless of political affiliations, and address the question of mob violence, vigilantism, but more importantly, the underlying issue of race in this country."
