MSNBC Barred From Rittenhouse Court After Person Tries To Photograph Jurors: Police

KENOSHA, WI — MSNBC has been banned from the Kenosha County courthouse Thursday morning after an order from Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder. The news outlet will not be allowed inside for the duration of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial.

A person who said he worked for MSNBC was stopped by Kenosha police for following a bus that carried jurors to Kyle Rittenhouse's trial Wednesday, Schroeder said.

"It would go without much thinking that someone who’s following a jury bus, that’s an extremely serious matter and will be referred to the proper authorities for further action," Schroeder said from the bench.

Calling it a serious matter, Schroeder also acknowledged that he did not know the ultimate truth of what happened.

In an emailed statement to Patch, MSNBC confirmed the person was a freelancer working for the news outlet but said the person never contacted or intended to contact the jurors and neither did they intend to photograph them.

"Last night, a freelancer received a traffic citation," the statement said. "While the traffic violation took place near the jury van, the freelancer never contacted or intended to contact the jurors during deliberations, and never photographed or intended to photograph them. We regret the incident and will fully cooperate with the authorities on any investigation."

Kenosha police said in a statement that they suspect the person was trying to get pictures of the jurors.

No breach of jurors' security occurred nor were any photos taken, police said. The investigation is still active and open.

The person was "briefly taken into custody" and given several traffic citations while in police custody.

SEE ALSO: Rittenhouse Jury Deliberations Enter Third Day

In a separate incident, an unknown man was arrested by the Kenosha Police Department outside of the Kenosha County Courthouse as jurors deliberated the outcome of Kyle Rittenhouse's trial inside on Thursday, multiple sources reported.

Jury deliberations entered their third day Thursday as people —both locally and nationally— are awaiting any news of a verdict in the case. Defense attorneys have argued that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense while prosecutors have said the teen inserted himself into a dangerous situation and provoked the violence on the third night of protests in Kenosha over the 2020 police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man. The officer who shot Blake was cleared of wrongdoing.

Protesters have gathered on the steps of the courthouse at times during the trial and in a separate incident Wednesday, two people were taken into custody in connection with an incident on the courthouse steps. Police did not give more details but said a 20-year-old man is accused of battery, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. A 34-year-old woman is accused of disorderly conduct.

>>>See more coverage on Patch of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more information as it's learned.