Ricky Schroder, the actor who recently helped teen murder suspect Kyle Rittenhouse cover the $2 million bond needed to be released from custody, defended lending his support in an interview Tuesday.
Mr. Schroder, a former child star who rose to fame on the TV show “Silver Spoon” in the 1980s, said he believes the 17-year-old shooting suspect is innocent and did not deserve to remain locked up.
“It made me mad,” Mr. Schroder told the New York Post regarding the Rittenhouse case, the newspaper reported.
“This boy is innocent and he will be proven innocent. I did what any father should’ve done, and that’s get a kid out of jail that doesn’t deserve to be there,” Mr. Schroder added.
Mr. Rittenhouse faces charges of homicide over the deaths of two people shot and killed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on the night of Aug. 25. He is also charged with shooting and injuring another.
The teenager had been jailed at a juvenile detention center for nearly three months prior to being released Friday after posting the $2 million cash bond thanks in part to Mr. Schroder.
Lawyers for Mr. Rittenhouse, an Illinois resident, maintain he was in Kenosha to protect local businesses from rioters amid the city undergoing unrest sparked by a police shooting days earlier.
Witnesses recorded the gun-toting teen before, during and after the shootings took place, and his supporters argue the footage shows he acted in self-defense.
“He wasn’t there to stop the protests,” Mr. Schroder said, The Post reported. “He was there to defend property from chaos.”
“This was Kyle’s life being destroyed,” the actor added. “This is his freedom at risk. It infuriated me to see an innocent 17-year-old young man being tried and found guilty before trial.”
Including his contributions to the bond and Mr. Rittenhouse’s legal defense, Mr. Schroder, 50, said he is contributing “hundreds of thousands” of dollars toward helping the teen, The Post reported.
Defense lawyers previously said Mike Lindell, the owner and main pitchman for the “MyPillow” brand, also played a significant part in securing Mr. Rittenhouse’s release last week.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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