Rittenhouse seen out on bail drinking with members of Proud Boys, prosecutors say

Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old who has been charged with fatally shooting two protesters during a protest in Wisconsin, was seen drinking with members of the far-right Proud Boys group while flashing a gesture equated with white supramecist movements, according to prosecutors.

The Washington Post reported that Rittenhouse was seen by state prosecutors at a bar where the 18-year-old was wearing a shirt that read “Free as f—” and socializing with known members of the group.

In a photo obtained by the newspaper, Rittenhouse is seen flashing an “OK” sign for a camera; the gesture has been co-opted by white nationalists as an identifier, as it also resembles the letters “W.P.,” an acronym for “white power.”

PICTURED: #KyleRittenhouse pictured in these photos shared by prosecutors.

Out at a Wisconsin bar (Pudgy’s Pub, with his mother) seen posing with a “Free As F**k” tee shirt on and flashing that “OK” – (or White Power)

State requests court motion to modify conditions of bond. pic.twitter.com/RPhCBvFTV1

— Tony Atkins (@TonyAtkinsTV) January 14, 2021

In a motion this week, prosecutors asked a judge to prohibit Rittenhouse from drinking alcohol, which is legal for 18-year-olds in the state under parental supervision, and from socializing with the group. It was unclear if Rittenhouse’s parents or a legal guardian was present at the bar.

“The defendant’s continued association with members of a group that prides itself on violence, and the use of their symbols, raises the significant possibility of future harm,” read the motion, according to the Post.

Members of the Proud Boys regularly clash with left-leaning protesters at public demonstrations. The group’s leader was arrested in Washington, D.C., last week just before a mob in supporting President Trump violently stormed the U.S. Capitol, leaving five people dead.

Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty last year to murder and weapons charges over the shootings, which occurred amid protests over the treatment of Black Americans by police. Rittenhouse has insisted he acted in self-defense during the incident.

He was out on a $2 million bond.

Jury selection for his trial is slated to begin on March 29.

Updated at 1:07 p.m.