Kenosha sheriff provides cookies, coffee while promoting unity as Rittenhouse jury deliberates

KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth is doing what he can to break any tension among the couple dozen people gathered outside the county courthouse as they await a verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial — including delivering cookies and coffee to protesters on both sides of the case.

Beth says he picked up about 500 cookies from a local bakery Thursday morning and grabbed some jugs of coffee from Dunkin Donuts before setting up shop on tables outside the courthouse with a sign that read “Cookies for Peace.”

“I think the fact that the sheriff is walking around handing cookies to people, it’s breaking a little bit of the ice and a little bit of the tension. Hopefully we have no trouble from here on out,” Beth said.

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Beth says there were only about 30 people on the steps of the courthouse Thursday morning as jurors entered their third day of deliberations in the case.

“I’m pretty confident that this is about as rowdy as we’re going to get,” Beth said.

RELATED: Kenosha Co. officials say they have no plans for curfews ahead of Rittenhouse verdict

The sheriff’s department has been working on their plan for the trial and the verdict for months, Beth said, with multiple resources ready to go if needed. Earlier this month, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers approved putting 500 National Guard troops on standby if they were needed for support.

“There’s all kinds of plans in place,” Beth said, “We have plenty of resources on standby, waiting if we needed them, but we’re not hearing that we’re going to need them.”