Tennessee lawmaker presents self-defense bill in 'honor' of Kyle Rittenhouse

A Tennessee state lawmaker presented a self-defense bill Wednesday that he says is "in honor of Kyle Rittenhouse," a local Fox News affiliate reported.

Rittenhouse, who was then 17, killed two men during a protest in Kenosha, Wis. in 2020, but was found not guilty of homicide after claiming his actions were in self-defense.

State Rep. Bruce Griffey's (R) "Kyle's Law," HB1769, would require the state to reimburse defendants found not guilty of homicide charges due to self-defense. The payment would be decided in court and could be denied if the defendant was acting criminally.

"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," Griffey said in a statement to Nashville's Fox 17. "But also against widespread defamation and false branding by corrupt media outlets, simply for exercising his American, God-given right to self-defense."

"Luckily, Kyle Rittenhouse was rightfully acquitted of all charges," Griffey added. "But not after thousands of dollars were expended on attorney fees for his legal defense, reputational damage was incurred and emotional stress was suffered. Kyle Rittenhouse can never fully be made whole for what he was forced to endure, but under the law I'm proposing, if someone in TN is placed in the same situation as Kyle Rittenhouse in the future, he/she can at least be financially compensated.

"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 has also proposed a proclamation stating that Rittenhouse "deserves to be recognized as a hero." He emphasized that Rittenhouse is "a strong supporter of President Donald Trump and the law enforcement community" who "selflessly defended his community, protected businesses, and acted lawfully in the face of lawlessness."