JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — During a news conference Monday in Orlando, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis claimed that the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy may have been influenced in some regard by the media's portrayal of Kyle Rittenhouse during his high-profile trial.
Rittenhouse killed two people and injured another during a protest against police brutality in Wisconsin last year. Rittenhouse was acquitted of first-degree intentional homicide and four other felony charges
Three days after acquittal, as many as 50 people, including children, were injured by an SUV that sped through a Christmas parade in a suburban Milwaukee on Nov. 21.
'It very well may have been in response to what happened with Kyle Rittenhouse," DeSantis began. "And you have to wonder if that's the case, almost surely, this guy's view of Rittenhouse was colored by all these media lies. He brought, he brought a rifle across state lines. That's a lie. They said that the initial altercation with Jacob Blake, that Blake was unarmed. That's a lie. They covered up Blake's criminal history. "
Darrell Brooks Jr. is accused of driving his vehicle into the Waukesha Christmas Parade on Nov. 21. He was charged Monday with a sixth count of first-degree intentional homicide. Police have not made any connections between Rittenhouse's case and what happened in Wisconsin.
"....They said that Rittenhouse shot, first of all, when you're when you're self defense, it doesn't matter. You know, kind of what race...but they would say that he shot, most people didn't know that he shot three white people... so that's what the media has been doing," said DeSantis.
At the same press conference, DeSantis announced he plans to propose pay increases and more bonuses for every law enforcement officer, first responder and EMT in the next legislative session.
"I think the way they've treated law enforcement across the board over the last two years has been an absolute disgrace. So let's just be clear, they are not wanting to cover this Wisconsin thing for what it is."
The governor was adamant that the state of Florida supports members of law enforcement in a nation, he said where some groups advocate to "defund the police."