#waukesha parade attack

[truecrimeandtrials]

Trigger and content warnings: infuriating yet amusing incompetence, death, physical abuse, general cringe, repeated disrespect for the judge, prosecution, and others, swear words (fuck, bitch), child death, physical injuries, possible terrorism

Disclaimer: I have done my best to summarize the testimony from the Darrell Brooks trial. I linked a playlist for the trial so you can go watch it if you wish to get all of the information and form your own opinion.

Defendant Darrell (pronounced Duh-rell) Brooks was charged with killing 8-year-old Jackson Sparks, 52-year-old Tamara Durand, 52-year-old Jane Kulich, 71-year-old LeAnna “Lee” Owen, 79-year-old Virginia “Ginny” Sorenson, and 81-year-old Wilhelm Hospel and injuring over sixty other individuals during the Waukesha Christmas Parade in 2021. The incident allegedly followed a domestic dispute. Mr. Brooks decided to represent himself during the trial and claimed sovereign citizenship.

State’s Opening Statement

District Attorneys Sue Opper, Lesli Boese, and Zachary Wittchow represented the State of Wisconsin. Attorney Wittchow gave the opening statement. The Waukesha Christmas parade started off normally on November 21st, 2021. There was joy all along the parade route. However, Darrell Brooks killed that joy and replaced it with trauma and terror. He was fleeing from another crime scene when he decided to drive through the parade. He repeatedly used his red Ford Escape as a battering ram, ultimately killing six people and injuring dozens more. Attorney Wittchow said that him and his colleagues intended to “avoid undue hardships” for the victims. He went through what they expected to present and what witness testimony would be.

Sergeant David Wanner’s Testimony

Sergeant David Wanner has been a patrol sergeant at the Waukesha County Police Department (WCPD) for eighteen years. He was working on the day of the attack and described how the parade was prepared and the route they were supposed to take. His job was to make sure that the other officers were where they were supposed to be and that everything was in order. Sergeant Wanner heard that squads not assigned to the parade were responding to a knife fight. He didn’t hear about any vehicles that were associated with that incident. He then saw a red SUV traveling toward him at “a high rate of speed”. He estimated that the vehicle was going over 40 miles per hour, which is approximately 64 kilometers per hour. The speed limit on the street the parade route was on was 25 miles per hour or approximately 40 kilometers per hour. Sergeant Wanner waved his hands over his head to get the driver’s attention but to no avail. The driver didn’t stop and entered the parade route. He used his radio to notify other officers along the route. He later heard “horrible sounds” and requests for backup.

Kori Runkle’s Testimony

Kori Runkle met Erika Patterson at the Waukesha women’s shelter in October or November of 2021. She couldn’t remember which month. Miss Runkle and Miss Patterson, along with a man named Nick, hung out together at a park on the day of the attack. They later split up. Miss Patterson went to meet up with Darrell Brooks. She had mentioned her ex-boyfriend to Miss Runkle before. She later got a call from Miss Patterson, who said that Mr. Brooks was beating and following her. She and Nick ran to help their friend out. This all happened right before Mr. Brooks ran through the parade.

Erika Patterson’s Testimony

Erika Patterson was Mr. Brooks’ ex-girlfriend and the mother of his fifteen-year-old daughter. The two had met when she was fifteen. Miss Patterson said that she was testifying on her 32nd birthday. She identified the defendant as her ex-boyfriend. She described what she remembered happened on the day of the attack. Mr. Brooks was angry and punched Miss Patterson’s left eye, leaving a black eye. Miss Runkle was mad at her for meeting up with him, but they still returned to the women’s shelter together. She talked to the police after the parade attack.

Detective Steven Guth’s Testimony

Detective Steven Guth has been a detective at WCPD for seven out of his twenty years at the department. He had questioned Miss Patterson about her fight with Mr. Brooks. She showed him where the two of them went. Detective Guth was unaware if Miss Patterson talked to any other officers.

Officer Jeremy Philipps’ Testimony

Officer Jeremy Philipps has been an officer at WCPD for fourteen years. He was not assigned to the parade, so he was on general patrol. He was dispatched to Frame Park at approximately 4:52 p.m. to an alleged knife fight. Officer Philipps looked around the area for potential victims and perpetrators. He was talking to Miss Patterson and her friends when he heard the requests for backup over his radio. He decided that the requests were more serious, so he responded to them. Officer Philipps attempted to render as much aid as he possibly could to those who were hit by Mr. Brooks.

Kyle Edwards’ Testimony

Kyle Edwards attended the Christmas parade with his wife and two kids. They were on their way when they first encountered Mr. Brooks in his red SUV. He later saw the defendant enter the parade route. Mr. Edwards has basic medical training after serving in the military for seventeen years. He made sure his wife and kids were safely on their way home before returning to the route to help. Later that night, he called the non-emergency line to report the possible connection between the SUV that rammed through the parade and the SUV he almost collided with. He was 95 percent sure they were the same vehicle. Mr. Edwards gave his statement to the police several days later.

Holly Berg’s Testimony

Holly Berg attended the Christmas parade on November 21st, 2021. Beforehand, she had dropped her boyfriend’s daughter off at the staging area so she could get ready for the parade. On her way to rejoin her boyfriend, Miss Berg witnessed the same thing that Mr. Edwards did. Later on, at the parade, she saw people “fly” when Mr. Brooks hit them. It clicked in her mind that he was the same man from the gas station incident. Miss Berg’s boyfriend tried to render help to people, but she told him to go find his daughter.

Detective Thomas Casey’s Testimony

Detective Thomas Casey has been a detective at WCPD for twenty-five years. He was assigned to help control traffic during the parade. Eight of the sixty-seven units that took part in the parade were impacted. Detective Casey was 1,000 percent sure that Mr. Brooks was driving the SUV.

Officer Bryce Butryn’s Testimony

Officer Bryce Butryn has been an officer at WCPD for approximately five years. He was assigned to the parade on the day of the tragedy. He heard a driver honk his car horn several times. Officer Butryn tried to stop the vehicle before running after it on foot, trying to stop the vehicle. He never saw the driver pull over and check on the person they hit.

Officer Sonia Schneider’s Testimony

Officer Sonia Schneider has been an officer at WCPD for two years. She was assigned to the parade at the same location as Officer Butryn. Unlike him, she never heard a car horn. She unsuccessfully tried to direct the vehicle off the parade route. Officer Schneider then guarded one of the deceased Dancing Grannies.

Battalion Chief Tim Haakenson’s Testimony

Battalion Chief Tim Haakenson has been the chief at the Waukesha Fire Department for six out of his twenty-two years there. He was on duty on November 21st, 2021. He received an alert at 4:39 p.m. regarding a vehicle versus pedestrian incident. At first, only Battalion Chief Haakenson’s station was dispatched, but eventually, every other station in Waukesha was sent to the scene. The last of the seventy-three total patients was in transit to the hospital by 5:35 p.m.

Nicole White’s Testimony

Nicole White was walking with the Re/max group when she was struck from behind. This was the first time she knew something was wrong. She never saw the vehicle stop and never heard a car horn, either before or after being struck. Several people helped Miss White get to safety before later being transported to the hospital by a police officer. She suffered a torn ligament in her right knee, two compressed vertebrae, and a tailbone injury. Miss White approximated that the vehicle was going about twenty miles per hour or thirty-two kilometers per hour.

Sarah Wehmeier-Aparicio’s Testimony

Sarah Wehmeier-Aparicio has been the band director at Waukesha South High School on and off for ten years. She was walking with the school band when Mr. Brooks drove through the parade. At first, Miss Wehmeier-Aparicio thought that it was an emergency vehicle until she saw people flying. Then she thought it was an accident until she saw the driver’s face. He was attentive and wasn’t looking for a way to exit the route. Miss Wehmeier-Aparicio didn’t hear a car horn, but she believed that she would have. It would’ve been an unexpected sound and would stand out. She didn’t notice anything amiss beforehand.

Kyle Jewell’s Testimony

Kyle Jewell attended the Christmas parade. The high school band was going by when he saw the red SUV strike and run over people. He didn’t hear a car horn and didn’t see the driver stop. Mr. Jewell wasn’t comfortable making a police report, but did anyway after being advised to.

Thomas Greene’s Testimony

Thomas Greene attended the parade with his wife and three children, two of whom were hit and injured. They were nine and eleven at the time.

Kelly Grabow’s Testimony

Kelly Grabow and her daughter Adelia were both walking with Burst Logistics when they were hit. Like any good mother, Miss Grabow made sure her daughter was taken care of before getting treatment for herself.

Jeff Rogers’ Testimony

Jeff Rogers is the president and a coach for the Waukesha Blazers Youth Baseball Program, of which Jackson Sparks was a member. He was walking with the group with three of his four children. He pulled his daughter Maya out of the way but was unable to get to his other two children before they were hit. Mr. Rogers’ son Cayden had a bruised right elbow, while his daughter Riley had cuts, bruises, and scrapes on both legs.

Joshua Kraner’s Testimony

Joshua Kraner was also a coach for the Blazers Youth Baseball Program. He was struck but didn’t see anyone else get struck. He looked for his son, who was luckily uninjured.

Alyssa Gajewski’s Testimony

Alyssa Gajewski used to teach the elite group at Xtreme Dance Group, which she was walking with. Several of her girls were hit and she described the injuries that she observed on them. Miss Gajewski had blacked out, saying that she heard people getting struck but wasn’t able to see it happening.

Jaimie Sutton’s Testimony

Jamie Sutton also taught at the Xtreme Dance Group and walked with the girls. She gathered the girls who had not been hit and reunited some of them with their parents. She took those who weren’t reunited into Chef Pam’s Kitchen when she heard about an active shooting. Miss Sutton thought the vehicle was experiencing brake failure due to how fast it was going. However, she didn’t see any physical damage to the vehicle.

Detective Mike Carpenter’s Testimony

Detective Mike Carpenter has been a detective in the computer forensics unit at WCPD for twelve out of twenty years. He reviewed a surveillance video from Bosco’s to conduct a speed analysis. Detective Carpenter found that the red SUV was going between thirty-three point-seven and thirty-four point-six miles per hour. That equates to fifty-four point twenty-three and fifty-five point sixty-eight kilometers per hour.

Debora Ramirez’s Testimony

Debora Ramirez attended the parade with her family. Both she and her son Isaac were hit. The two went to Urgent Care in Pewaukee the next day, as they didn’t need immediate attention like others did.

Stefanie Bonesteel’s Testimony

Stefanie Bonesteel is the head of marketing at Citizen’s Bank. She was tasked with assembling her co-workers to march in the parade, one of whom was Jane Kulich. She was walking with her kids when she saw the red SUV coming for her. She wasn’t hit since the SUV had swerved. However, Mrs. Bonesteel did see it strike someone. She found her kids, who were luckily uninjured. Despite it being three to five feet away from her, the fear and shock kept her from identifying the color of the SUV.

Adam Bonesteel’s Testimony

Adam Bonesteel volunteered to drive the float for Citizen’s Bank. The six-year-old daughter of one of his wife’s co-workers was next to him in the passenger’s seat. He saw Jane Kulich get hit by the SUV. At first, Mr. Bonesteel didn’t know who it was but knew that she was part of the Citizen’s Bank unit. He later checked on Jane and immediately knew she was gone.

Matthew Harris’s Testimony

Matthew Harris attended the parade with his family. The Dancing Grannies just went by when the SUV went through. He would’ve run after it, but he noticed that his seven-year-old daughter was injured.

Heather Ricciotti’s Testimony

Heather Ricciotti was attending the parade with her three children when a maroonish-red SUV passed them. Her five-year-old son Owen was hit. After dropping her other two kids off at home, Miss Ricciotti took Owen to Waukesha Memorial Hospital. He had a gash above his right eyebrow, which required six stitches.

Daniel Knapp’s Testimony

Daniel Knapp attended the parade with his family and three other families, totaling nineteen people. His three kids were eleven, seven, and three. He saw an SUV driving toward them and striking his three-year-old daughter Kelsey (approximate spelling). He saw no one else struck, as his daughter was his sole focus. He ran to her side and noticed all of the blood on her face. Kelsey was conscious but didn’t understand what was going on. Mr. Knapp made sure the rest of his group was okay before taking her to the hospital. She had a broken nose, a torn spleen, a road rash, and cuts to her face. He only saw the driver inside the vehicle, who he described as a black male whose “eyes were completely wide open”. He identified the defendant as the driver.

Laura Thein’s Testimony

Laura Thein is part of the Dancing Grannies. She didn’t hear anything unusual because the music vehicle was right behind her. She was not struck but went into shock when she saw all of the bodies. Miss Thein went over who else was a part of the Dancing Grannies and who all was hit. Two of the grannies and someone who was helping them were killed. She said that she thought that she was in a war because of how many bodies there were.

Hope Evans-Jansen’s Testimony

Hope Evans-Jansen attended the parade with her family. Her ten-year-old daughter recorded the parade on her iPhone and captured the Dancing Grannies getting struck. Mrs. Evans-Jansen sent this video to the police.

Trooper Michael Smith’s Testimony

Trooper Michael Smith has been a reconstructionist with the TCU at Wisconsin State Patrol since 2004. He has been with the State Patrol as a whole since 2000. Trooper Smith recreated the scene in a controlled environment and subsequently created a scale diagram.

Doctor Amy Sheil’s Testimony

Doctor Amy Sheil has been the associate medical examiner at the Waukesha County Medical Examiner’s Officer for seven and a half years. She autopsied Leanna Owens, Virginia Sorenson, and Jackson Sparks. Doctor Sheil went over their injuries and causes of death.

Doctor Lynda Biedryzycki’s Testimony

Doctor Lynda Biedryzycki has been the medical examiner at the Waukesha County Medical Examiner’s Officer for twenty-five years. She autopsied Tamara Durand, Wilhelm Hospel, and Jane Kulich. Doctor Biedryzycki went over their injuries and causes of death.

Matthew Widder’s Testimony

Matthew Widder is a Catholic pastor and walked in the parade with the Catholic community. He went over who in their group was struck.

Detective Lukas Hallmark’s Testimony

Detective Lukas Hallmark has been a detective at WCPD for approximately fifteen years. He was walking with the Catholic community. He initially thought the red SUV was a lost motorist until he saw how fast it was going. Detective Hallmark approximated the speed to be between thirty and forty miles per hour or forty-eight to sixty-four kilometers per hour. He and his two sons Elliot and Benjamin were hit.

Craig Liermann’s Testimony

Craig Liermann attended the parade with his family. He got a good look at the driver, who he described as a light-skinned black male in his mid to late thirties with facial hair and long dreadlocks. Mr. Liermann saw the driver stick his head out of the window and look back, seemingly excited. He made sure his family was okay before checking on others.

Ralph Salyers’ Testimony

Ralph Salyers attended the parade with his family. On his way home, he saw the defendant get out and examine his car. He allegedly yelled “fuck��� before grabbing items from the car and running. Mr. Salyers estimated this to have happened between ten and twenty seconds.

Bryce Scholten’s Testimony

Officer Bryce Scholten has been an officer at WCPD for approximately seven and a half years. He is currently assigned to the criminal investigations department but was a police officer at the time. Officer Scholten was assigned to the end of the parade route. He shot at Mr. Brooks three times but missed all three times.

Christopher Moss’ Testimony

Officer Christopher Moss has worked at WCPD for fourteen years. He was a part of the color guard for the WCPD unit. He clocked into work after he finished walking in the parade when he heard requests for backup. Officer Moss quickly finished getting dressed and responded back to the parade. He was attempting to help two elderly women when Officer Scholten approached and told him what he did. He was then told by a Hispanic man where the suspected vehicle was, which he secured, and found that it was registered to Dawn Woods, who is Mr. Brooks’ mother. Officer Moss helped write the search warrant that allowed the police to search the vehicle.

Carlos Arechiga Nolasco’s Testimony

Carlos Arechiga Nolasco was at home when he heard a screech from outside. He looked out his window and saw someone jump over the hood of an unknown damaged car and run away. Mr. Nolasco asked his downstairs neighbors if they knew anything about the car. They didn’t and were also confused.

Sean Backler’s Testimony

Sean Backler was working outside his house around 4:49 p.m. when he heard noises around his garage. He found the defendant and asked who he was. The defendant asked Mr. Backler to call him an Uber, but he refused and asked him to leave his property. Mr. Brooks hesitantly complied. Mr. Backler called the non-emergency line and described what the defendant was wearing when they met.

Domanic Caproon’s Testimony

Domanic Caproon was putting water jugs into his truck when he was approached by Mr. Brooks. He allowed him to use his phone to call an Uber.

Erin Cordes’s Testimony

Erin Cordes attended the parade with her husband and two children. They saw Officer Scholten fire at the red SUV. Mrs. Cordes and her family were on their way to their car when they were approached by Mr. Brooks, who she said wasn’t dressed appropriately for the weather. She hesitantly let him use her phone to call his mom.

Anthony Winters’ Testimony

Anthony Winters was driving for Lyft, which is a similar service to Uber. He got a ride request from someone named Dawn at 550 Elizabeth Street, the address of Aries Industries. Mr. Winters was told by the person who requested the ride that it was for someone else and was given a description. No one showed up, so he left the address.

Daniel Rider’s Testimony

Daniel Rider lives across the street from Aries Industries and was home alone when Mr. Brooks rang his doorbell around five p.m. He said that was homeless and needed to check on where his Uber was. Mr. Rider allowed him inside to use his phone and warm up. He also made Mr. Brooks a sandwich, seeing how he was under the impression that he was homeless. Mr. Brooks was thankful for Mr. Rider’s kindness and willingly left when he was asked to. He was arrested on the porch. Mr. Rider gave footage from his ring camera over to police.

Officer Rebecca Carpenter’s Testimony

Officer Rebecca Carpenter is an officer at Big Bend PD, a patrol officer in East Troy, and an assistant chief in Eagle. She was on duty but was not assigned to the parade. She was one of the officers who arrested Mr. Brooks. Several items were found in his pockets, including the sandwich that Mr. Rider made for him. Officer Carpenter found the sandwich while a different officer found the other items.

Officer Garrett Luling’s Testimony

Officer Garrett Luling is an officer at WCPD and was one of the officers who arrested Mr. Brooks.

Officer Draelon Leija’s Testimony

Officer Draelon Leija has been an officer at WCPD for two years. He reported to Memorial Hospital, where he met with Detectives Jay Carpenter and Stern. Officer Leija was tasked with transporting Mr. Brooks to the Muskego Police Department from the hospital.

Detective Jay Carpenter’s Testimony

Detective Jay Carpenter has been a detective at WPF for five of his eighteen years. He was a part of the color guard as well. He reported to Elizabeth Street after going on duty. Detective Carpenter interrogated Mr. Brooks twice. The FBI was present during the first interrogation, as it wasn’t clear if the attack involved terrorism. The recordings for both interrogations were played with prior bad acts excluded pursuant to a prior ruling made by the judge.

Juan Marquez’s Testimony

Juan Marquez was a defense witness who was called out of turn due to the scheduling of the translator that he needed. His testimony interrupted Detective Carpenter’s testimony because of this. Mr. Marquez was walking in the parade with his wife and son in the Catholic community. He heard no horn, so he didn’t see anything unusual when he was hit from behind. He was interviewed by an FBI agent.

Detective Jay Carpenter’s Continued Testimony

Detective Jay Carpenter resumed his testimony after Mr. Marquez. The first interrogation he had with Mr. Brooks happened at Memorial Hospital. The second happened at the Muskego Police Department, which was their temporary base while the main building was under construction.

Steven Schlomann’s Testimony

Steven Schlomann is the IT director for the Waukesha school district. He reviewed and handed surveillance over to the police.

Robert Stone II’s Testimony

Robert Stone II lives in Waukesha. He has security cameras on his house that caught Mr. Brooks go by. He provided the footage to police.

Andrew Amerson’s Testimony

Andrew Amerson lives in Waukesha. He has security cameras on his house that caught Mr. Brooks go by. He provided the footage to police.

Leonard Miller’s Testimony

Leonard Miller lives in Waukesha. He has security cameras on his house that caught Mr. Brooks go by. He provided the footage to police via email. He was on his way to look at Christmas lights when he saw a SWAT team in front of his home.

Kyle Becker’s Testimony

Kyle Becker is a specialist at WCPD, but I didn’t hear what he specializes in. He was part of the team that searched for Mr. Brooks’ discarded items, which were his sandals and hoodie.

After Mr. Becker’s testimony, the jury went to view the red SUV before they were released for lunch.

Justin Rowe’s Testimony

Detective Justin Rowe was also part of the search for Mr. Brooks’ items. He also obtained surveillance videos.

Ryan Schultz’s Testimony

Ryan Schultz is a reconstructionist with the Wisconsin State Patrol. He examined the red SUV.

Chris Johnson’s Testimony

Chris Johnson is a crime scene analyst at the state crime lab. He also examined the red SUV.

Trevor Naleid’s Testimony

Trevor Naleid was the senior forensic scientist in the DNA analysis unit at the state crime lab. He tested the DNA from the car.

The State rested.

Defense’s Opening Statement

Mr. Brooks deferred his opening statement until the beginning of his case. He said that there are always two sides to a story and that it’s easy to forget the other side of the coin. Although tragic, this attack wasn’t planned or intentional and there was a lot of suffering because of it.

State of Wisconsin’s Testimony

Mr. Brooks attempted to call the State of Wisconsin to the stand, which was quickly shut down.

Nicholas Kirby’s Testimony

Nicholas Kirby was the second witness Mr. Brooks called during his case, or the third witness if you include Mr. Marquez. He was walking with Miss Runkle and Miss Patterson, whom he advised not to meet up with Mr. Brooks. He said that he had a bad feeling that something would happen if they did. And he was right. Both Miss Runkle and Mr. Kirby ran to help her. He informed an officer they ran into on their way to help. He believed that the involvement of a knife was a miscommunication, as he had a knife injury from a previous incident that was unrelated to Mr. Brooks.

Heather Riemer’s Testimony

Heather Riemer attended the parade with her husband and three of their friends. She heard honking, but she wasn’t sure if it came from the red SUV or another vehicle. No one in Mrs. Riemer’s group was injured.

Douglas Kolar’s Testimony

Douglas Kolar attended the parade with his daughter, who was in the parade. He grabbed his daughter after Mr. Brooks drove through and hurried her to their car. Neither was injured.

Detective Steven Guth’s Testimony

Detective Steven Guth was recalled as a defense witness. He said that he was originally off duty on November 21st, 2021.

Erika Patterson’s Testimony

Erika Patterson was recalled as a defense witness. She said that she first met Mr. Brooks in Reno, Nevada. She said that she called Mr. Kirby’s phone because Miss Runkle’s phone kept going to voicemail.

Deanna Aldrich’s Testimony

Deanna Aldrich was home when she heard a noise. She saw a car that was “smashed to smithereens” when she looked outside. She saw someone running away but was unable to get a clear description since she didn’t have her glasses on.

Christopher Bertram’s Testimony

Christopher Bertram was taking his mother’s car to a mechanic friend when he saw a smashed-up car and the driver. He didn’t remember the description of the driver he provided to law enforcement.

Jason Hayes’s Testimony

Jason Hayes attended the parade with his daughter. He heard a horn, but didn’t see anyone get struck.

Abel Lazcano’s Testimony

Abel Lazcano attended the parade with his wife and daughter. He was the Hispanic male who reported the location the SUV was found.

Kathleen Yourell’s Testimony

Kathleen Yourell’s four children participated in the parade, all of whom were hit. She thankfully never saw them get hit. Mrs. Yourell described the injuries that her children had.

Katrice Babiasz’s Testimony

Katrice Babiasz has been a law enforcement dispatch supervisor for sixteen years. She attended the parade with her family. They were set up near the beginning and saw the SUV enter the parade route. Mrs. Babiasz heard the driver honking the horn and gesturing. She said that he seemed to look “through” her, which was very frightening for her. She was struck, but she didn’t tell anyone since no one asked. Although Mrs. Babiasz never saw anyone get struck, it seemed to her that the driver was trying to strike people.

Judge Dorrow closed Mr. Brooks’ defense case for him.

State’s Closing Argument

District Attorney Sue Opper delivered the closing argument for the State. She expressed gratitude towards the jury from the prosecution team. Because Mr. Brooks kept asking witnesses about it, she said that they represent the plaintiff, which was/is the State of Wisconsin. Attorney Opper said that it is their job to enforce when the laws that people set up are violated. She asked them to obey Judge Dorrow’s instructions before going over the charges, evidence, and witness testimony. They only included those who were hit by the defendant in the charges to keep things more efficient.

Defense’s Closing Argument

Despite being told not to, Mr. Brooks immediately tried to bring up jury nullification, which, according to FindLaw, is the jury’s power to acquit a defendant despite finding them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He reiterated from his opening that this wasn’t intentional. Mr. Brooks then tried to sympathize with the jury, saying that he never got to meet his newborn grandson and that he believes in Jesus. He implored the jury to “do what’s right”.

State’s Rebuttal Closing Arguments

Attorney Opper called Mr. Brooks out during her rebuttal arguments, saying that it doesn’t matter that he “profess[es] to be the finest man under God that you can be” after he ran over children.

Mr. Brooks’ Conduct During the Trial

Mr. Brooks interrupted Judge Jennifer Dorrow several times during the trial. Judge Dorrow was very calm and patient with him. She gave him several chances on multiple occasions throughout the trial to get his act together before having him removed to another courtroom. He appeared over video conference, where Judge Dorrow could mute him if need be. During one of these times on the first day, Mr. Brooks had a tantrum and took his shirt off. When questioning the witnesses, Mr. Brooks would ask them about the plaintiff and who they were. It came across as if he didn’t understand how the state of Wisconsin could be the plaintiff in his case. However, according to Wikipedia, it is a tactic sovereign citizens use during trial. Judge Dorrow admonished Mr. Brooks on day three, saying that his not understanding of the law was no longer an excuse now that they were at trial. Mr. Brooks seemed to be more intimidated by the male witnesses than the female witnesses. This seems to be deep-rooted misogyny. Something he said that might prove this is “Remember, non-response is consent”. This doesn’t necessarily pertain to Mr. Brooks’ conduct during the trial, but there was a tornado warning on the fifth day, so Judge Dorrow stopped his cross-examination of Daniel Knapp to take an early lunch break so that everyone could stay safe during the warning. He was able to continue afterward, then court went into recess for the day so everyone who lived in the area could make sure their properties and loved ones were safe. On day thirteen, while he was in the other courtroom, Mr. Brooks kept making box forts with his evidence boxes and at one point could be heard yelling, despite being muted. He kept mispronouncing words. I know that some of it was African American Vernacular English or AAVE, but there were some words that he just plain old butchered. The most common was the word “tacit”. It is pronounced “Tas-it”, but he kept saying “tack-it”. He also kept saying “substain” instead of “sustain”. He said it so much that I caught myself writing “substain” while I was taking notes. On day six, Mr. Brooks went on a fifty-minute rant about some SovCit BS. He brought up that Judge Dorrow knew someone who was involved with this case and asked her why she would have their phone number if they had a “strictly professional relationship”. There are several reasons as to why co-workers may exchange phone numbers. The first thing that comes to mind for me is maybe one of them got into a car accident and needs a ride to work or something. During sentencing, Judge Dorrow disclosed that Mr. Brooks had previously been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, which is commonly associated with psychopathy and sociopathy. A doctor wrote in her report from a pre-trial evaluation that she found nothing that could corroborate that he was exhibiting “signs of impaired reality” before the incident. Mr. Brooks said “grounds” seven hundred and forty-four times, “lawful law” twenty-one times, “objection” one thousand five hundred and twenty-one times, and brought up subject matter jurisdiction eighty-three times.

Verdict and Sentencing

1st Degree Intentional Homicide (6 counts): guilty

1st Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety (61 counts): guilty

Hit and Run–Involve Death (6 counts): guilty

Bail Jumping–Felony (2 counts): guilty

Battery (1 count): guilty

Battery (1 count): dismissed

Homicide by Veh. Use–Control. Substance (6 counts): dismissed

Darrell Brooks was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences plus seven hundred sixty-eight and a half years. He was also ordered to pay restitution.

Personal Opinions

These are just my opinions. Feel free to disagree, but keep it as respectful as possible. I believe Darrell kept objecting just as an excuse to disrupt and/or stall the proceedings. However, for someone who had no knowledge of the law, I’m surprised that a few of his objections were sustained. In my opinion, Officer Moss kinda looks like Lin Manuel Miranda. Also, Daniel Rider was very kind to let Darrell into his house, even though it was under false pretenses. I also believe that he inadvertently stalled him long enough for the police to find and arrest him.

[jackmedwn]

The Waukesha Domestic Terrorist & Prison Justice

I thought the SUV committed the crime.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Hannah E. Meyers

Published; Jan 2, 2025

In the early hours of New Year’s Day, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran from Houston, plowed his rented truck through revelers on New Orleans’s Bourbon Street. Then he jumped out and initiated the shootout that ended his life, wounding two police officers. Police found an ISIS flag, weapons, and an improvised explosive device in Jabbar’s pick-up truck, along with two more IEDs in the area. Jabbar’s attack left at least 14 dead and dozens more hurt.

The FBI now believes that Jabbar probably acted alone. And officials have found no link between his attack and the suicidal explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas hours later—an attack also apparently committed by a military veteran. In a video posted to social media before the attack, Jabbar expressed a “desire to kill” and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. He originally considered inviting his entire family to a “celebration” and massacring them before choosing to attack strangers in New Orleans instead.

In many ways, Jabbar fits the decades-old mold of a homegrown extremist. His life wasn’t going great: two divorces and a failing business left him cash-strapped and sounding desperate in correspondence with lawyers. One of his exes stopped allowing him to see their shared daughters. Jabbar’s religious observance became increasingly “radical,” and he kept largely to himself. It’s a familiar portrait.

What these incidents suggest is a growing lack of awareness and care by American citizens and institutions. We have lost much of the “see something, say something” mentality of the early post-9/11 era. This obliviousness is evident not only in our response to jihadi threats but also in our ignoring many criminal and anti-Semitic threats.

As I know from a decade spent studying, teaching, and working in counterterrorism, identifying and combating radicalization is frustrating and difficult work. The world is full of unstable individuals and brimming with jihadi rhetoric and literature.

We have yet to learn whether authorities missed any crucial signals leading up to Jabbar’s attack. But in our current relaxed milieu, it’s easy to imagine. We have convinced ourselves that vigilance is just another symptom of our Western privilege. This was evident in June, when we allowed pro-Hamas “protesters” to block gay pride marches from Boston to Philadelphia to Denver.

The sight of anyone flying the flag of a designated terror group in American streets warrants calling in a lead to law enforcement. There is no such thing as benign terror support. And while most of the deluded, ignorant anti-Zionist protesters who have waved Hamas or Hezbollah flags won’t go on to drive trucks into crowds, there is no way to find out who will without investigating.

Government officials have let down their guard. Last June, the Department of Homeland Security belatedly identified more than 400 migrants smuggled into the U.S. by an ISIS-affiliated network. Record-breaking illegal border crossings in recent years demonstrate a collapse of institutional vigilance.

We’ve also stopped responding to leads when it comes to ordinary criminal violence. Just two weeks before Darrell Brooks killed six people by driving through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in 2021, he threatened, punched, and drove over his then-girlfriend. In 2020, Brooks had been charged with three felonies—including shooting at his own nephew—but was ultimately released on a cash bond of just $500. And this followed more than two decades of convictions, for which Brooks served minimal prison time and frequently received early release.

When the criminal-justice system ignores so many signs that someone is dangerous, it’s no wonder that citizens drop their guard, too. Recent weeks have seen several horrific New York City subway attacks by disturbed individuals. But New Yorkers have become so accustomed to erratic behavior underground—from fare evasion to drug use to physical assault—that most of these red flags also go unreported.

We have also stopped “saying something” when we “see something” anti-Semitic. Students at elite universities and high schools across the country have been subjected to hundreds of incidents of harassment over the past year just for the sin of being Jewish. Too many of us write off these incidents as mere “anti-Zionism.” And when such incidents do get reported, too many institutions—like the City University of New York—lack official policies recognizing them as anti-Semitism.

We’ve yet to learn the full story about the New Orleans and Las Vegas attacks. There may be good reasons for why these individuals slipped through the cracks. Still, the evidence of our indifference, public and institutional, to dangerous threats is too abundant to ignore. It is a recipe for more carnage in the future.

==

One of the other obstacles in the way is that many institutions, including government and academia have been captured by intersectional ideology and are in full-blown denial.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 11.21 (after 2000)

2002 – NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members. 2002 – Arturo Guzmán Decena, founder of Los Zetas and high-member of the Gulf Cartel, is killed in a shoot-out with the Mexican Army and the police. 2004 – The second round of the Ukrainian presidential election is held, giving rise to massive protests and controversy over the election's integrity. 2004 – Dominica is hit by the most destructive earthquake in its history. The northern half of the island sustains the most damage, especially the town of Portsmouth. In neighboring Guadeloupe, one person is killed. 2004 – The Paris Club agrees to write off 80% (up to $100 billion) of Iraq's external debt. 2004 – China Eastern Airlines Flight 5210 crashes after takeoff from Baotou Donghe Airport, killing 55. 2006 – Anti-Syrian Lebanese politician and government minister Pierre Gemayel is assassinated in suburban Beirut. 2009 – A mine explosion in Heilongjiang, China kills 108. 2012 – At least 28 are wounded after a bomb is thrown onto a bus in Tel Aviv. 2013 – Fifty-four people are killed when the roof of a shopping center collapses in Riga, Latvia. 2013 – Massive protests start in Ukraine after President Viktor Yanukovych suspended signing the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement. 2014 – A stampede in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe caused by the police firing tear gas kills at least eleven people and injures 40 others. 2015 – The government of Belgium imposes a security lockdown on Brussels, including the closure of shops, schools, and public transportation, due to potential terrorist attacks. 2017 – Robert Mugabe formally resigns as President of Zimbabwe, after thirty-seven years in office. 2019 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is indicted on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. 2019 – Tesla launches the SUV Cybertruck. A gaffe occurs during the launch event when its "unbreakable" windows shatter during demonstration. 2021 – An SUV plows through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six and injuring 62. 2022 – A magnitude 5.6 earthquake on the Indonesian island of Java kills between 335 and 602 people.

[thatwasuzi]

Guilty.

Rot you fuck.

[zeoj99]

The Waukesha parade massacre was caused by a random out of control SUV and not a crazed abusive driver with a history of running people over with his car

My favorite "conspiracies" are:

-There were no shooters JFKs head just did that

-Stanley Kubrick was hired to film a fake moon landing but made them do it on location

[theusarticles]

Milwaukee Dancing Grannies planning return to Waukesha

Milwaukee Dancing Grannies planning return to Waukesha

One year later and emotions are still high. The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies lost four members of their community when a man drove through the Waukesha Christmas Parade in November 2021. He killed six people total that day and injured nearly 70 others. Walking in this parade again brings back memories from that fatal day. “Knowing that our fallen four are not here with us but then also going back…

[jayther]

Bizarre Trial of Darrell Brooks: Outbursts and Oddities of the Waukesha Parade Attacker's Case From proclaiming himself to be a sovereign citizen and dismissing his public defenders, to childish outbursts and disrespectful remarks, Darrell Brooks' trial was one of the most bizarre cases to date. The Law&Crime Network's Jesse Weber recaps key moments from Brooks' case in chronological order leading up to his conviction for the Waukesha Christmas parade attack. Listen to Law&Crime's Sidebar Podcast on Apple & Spotify: Apple: https://ift.tt/3WKjkO0 Spotify: https://ift.tt/Oz8mWQM Host: Jesse Weber:https://twitter.com/jessecordweber LAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION: YouTube Management - Bobby Szoke Podcasting - Sam Goldberg Video Editing - Logan Harris Guest Booking - Alyssa Fisher Social Media Management - Kiera Bronson #DarrellBrooks #WaukeshaParade #LawAndCrime STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK: Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3y Where To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5 Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletter Read Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2Iqo LAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: https://ift.tt/xNdia7c Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork Facebook: https://ift.tt/zntg3Ha Twitch: https://ift.tt/iGFNzyU TikTok: https://ift.tt/tvyGZhJ LAW&CRIME NETWORK PODCASTS: https://ift.tt/bRlfIUN SUBSCRIBE TO ALL OF LAW&CRIME NETWORK YOUTUBE CHANNELS: Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz8K1occVvDTYDfFo7N5EZw Law&Crime Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVXOqoOCYbi-iXChKAl6DTQ Channel B: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXCLaaClAWQiTkl3pw9ZdLw Channel C: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMV3pzWIhJGLYzoHyxBjjNw via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97QPwFW-sAs

[newseyes]

Waukesha parade attack: 7 children still

Waukesha parade attack: 7 children still

The city of Waukesha asked residents to light a blue light outside their homes and share a moment of silence at 4:39 p.m. CT on Sunday, exactly one week after the Christmas parade attack that left at least six people dead and dozens more injured.  Businesses and city council members gave out blue lights to residents, who were asked to keep them illuminated outside of their homes through the…

[beardedmrbean]

WAUKESHA - Despite a jail search and investigative interviews that raised questions about prosecutors' case against him, Darrell Brooks Jr. will still stand trial in October for the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack in 2021.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow ruled that evidence obtained in that jail search might have fallen into a gray area, but the substance of that evidence was not enough to offset the body of evidence tied to the slightly reduced list of 77 charges he faces, including six intentional homicide counts.

Likewise, Dorow ruled that interviews by Waukesha police officers in the hours after the parade incident were conducted properly, without violating Brooks' right to remain silent.

In two days of hearings Thursday and Friday, prosecutors and defense attorneys pushed their views about what exactly transpired after Brooks was arrested following the parade attack.

The case against Brooks, 40, of Milwaukee, initially filed within days of the Nov. 21 mass casualty attack, has morphed several times, including an amended complaint that eventually grew to 83 charges in March and a change of his not guilty plea to an insanity plea in June.

The latest twist arose in early August, when Brooks' attorneys filed four motions: to suppress statements made to investigators after his arrest; to suppress evidence collected in a July 1 search of his jail cell; to dismiss the case or remove prosecutors because of the information that was gathered in that search; and to eliminate the final six counts in the criminal complaint.

Judge rules against case dismissal

The heftier motion, one that could force the court to abandon the criminal case completely, proved complex.

For one, Dorow said that, as of Thursday morning, the defense team had not submitted sensitive materials, under seal, that would allow her to consider how confidential that evidence might be. (That was submitted before the continued hearing on Friday.)

Second, given that the jail cell search related to Brooks' decision to change his plea to not guilty by reason of mental defect, Dorow questioned whether the evidence was moot, given the four doctors' reports now in the hands of the court.

The doctors reports are also confidential, and their contents were not revealed in the hearings. But Dorow, in wondering aloud whether Brooks plans to continue with his insanity defense, hinted that the reports did not support his plea.

"We are not prepared to address that at this time," defense attorney Jeremy Perri told Dorow.

Prosecutors argued that case law supports that investigators had the right to access to Brooks' jail cell, and also felt that the search qualified for a warrant. The defense disagreed, citing other case law that limited access to jail cells to certain circumstances only, particularly jail security.

But Dorow cited a U.S. Supreme Court case in which justices summarized that "society is not prepared to recognize" privacy in a jail cell, especially when investigators sought a warrant to conduct the search.

She added that case law also suggests that the warrant wasn't even required in the search, eliminating another lquestion raised by the defense team.

On Friday, Perri and Dorow differed over how one document, in particular, could be deemed "privileged," which potentially opened the door to additional testimony from two investigators who searched the jail cell.

But Dorow forcefully argued that any discussion about steps in the insanity plea was so basic and routine that it couldn't be considered privileged attorney-client information. "There is nothing privileged about that. That's just basic strategy," she said.

Waukesha District Attorney Sue Opper was also angered by what she called vague claims by the defense team on the sensitive materials in an effort to derail the case.

"I haven't even heard so much as an offer of proof from the defense," she said. "It's a fishing expedition, plain and simple."

Dorow said her review of three documents did not support any attorney-client privileged information.

Dorow denied the motion to dismiss the case in its entirety, saying it simply didn't rise to the level that Brooks' Sixth Amendment rights were violated.

Defense tries to suppress statements

The motion to suppress statements recorded during Brooks' initial interviews with police on Nov. 22 involved the only testimony presented. In the first of two days of hearings on the issue, the lawyers posed questions to police officers to support their arguments involving each of those motions.

The witness examination, cross examination and redirect questioning focused on a number of points: How comfortable Brooks felt talking to investigators, the physical pain he was enduring in his shoulder as the result of being wrestled to the ground by officers during his arrest, and statements that he wanted to know exactly why he was in custody.

But the main point in the questioning was to determine what Brooks said during those interviews and whether the statements occurred after he said he no longer wanted to speak with police.

Called by the state as witnesses, Waukesha Police Detective Jay Carpenter and Officer Benjamin Stern said they were with Brooks for about three hours at ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital, where Brooks was taken for shoulder treatment and a blood draw after his arrest on Nov. 21.

At one point early in the process, Carpenter said that, after getting personal information from Brooks, he read him his rights.

Both investigators interviewed Brooks the next day at the Muskego Police Department, where he had been taken the previous night to remain in a holding cell. (The transfer to Muskego was the result of the remodeling project then underway at the Waukesha Police Station, where suspects are normally held briefly in local incidents.)

In Muskego, they interviewed him for nearly five hours. Carpenter said Brooks was again read his rights 16 minutes into the interview. In addition to the parade incident, the interview also included his role in an alleged domestic battery incident before the parade.

In response to one attorney's question about Brooks' mental state during the interviews, Stern characterized his statements as "lucid."

He said Brooks, who expressed thanks for the way police had treated him during the interviews, seemed interested in reopening the conversation after initially saying at one point he didn't want to talk anymore "right now."

"He was looking for more information about why he was detained," Stern said, who reiterated that Brooks was told he was being held for loitering and disorderly conduct.

In her oral argument, Deputy District Attorney Lesli Boese said investigators neither coerced Brooks nor gathered any incriminating statements during the key parts of their interviews focused on by the defense attorneys.

"There was no interrogation. There was only casual conversation" before the reading of his Miranda rights, Boese said.

Defense attorney Anna Kees countered that the Nov. 22 interrogation, by its very nature, was coercive.

"The claim that there is nothing coercive in this environment is simply not true," Kees said in her oral argument. "(Investigators) are trained to ask questions that will elicit incriminating responses."

The motion also argued that the dual interviews, with the second coming after Brooks initially said he didn't want to speak with police further, was coercive because they occurred too closely to each other.

Kees argued prosecutors "have not met their burden" to prove Brooks' Miranda rights were not violated.

On Friday, Dorow again ruled against statement suppression, given the nature of the discussions and Brooks' role in how the conversation continued after he initially expressed some hesitation about talking with police.

Dorow said the half-hour interview at the hospital wasn't an interrogation about the parade incident, even with the presence of two FBI agents, and that Brooks wasn't coerced in any way to provide incriminating statements. She added it was Brooks who opted to prompt further discussion after he was asked whether he was willing to speak to detectives.

"He continued that discussion," Dorow said. "It's clear he is willing to speak."

In the Muskego interview, 13 hours later, police followed procedures and again advised Brooks of his rights when he affirmed he was willing to speak to investigators.

Statements such as "I didn't mean to kill anyone," were made by Brooks "under his own free volition," Dorow said.

In fact, "he was clearly comfortable speaking with police on both occasions," she said, adding that no substantial incriminating statements were made in any of the interviews.

"He did not clearly and unequivocally invoke his right to remain silent," Dorow said.

Charged twice for six allegations?

But Brooks fared better on one motion that eliminated six counts against him.

The defense team argued that counts 78 to 83, homicide by vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance, were multiplicitous, given that Brooks was already charged with six counts of first-degree intentional homicide in those deaths.

Perri said that type of duplication is not allowed under case law.

But Assistant District Attorney Zachary A. Wittchow said his review of previous cases suggest the charges are independent of each other and could be considered separately by jurors.

Dorow said her review of the case cited by the attorneys and a 2015 state law suggests the Brooks case could result in additional charges under some circumstances, but not in this case.

Those final six counts should be removed from the case, Dorow ruled. The result is that Brooks will face 77 criminal counts, not 83, going forward.

Milwaukee allegations to be excluded

And Brooks' Waukesha case won't substantially use evidence from a domestic violence case he is also facing in Milwaukee County.

In addition to its responses to the defense motions, the district attorney's office filed its own motions, including one that asked the courts to consider allegations involving Brooks in Milwaukee.

Those allegations include a charge that he tried to run down a woman with whom he had a relationship, which Opper noted had similarities to the Waukesha allegations. (The woman is the same victim, listed as PPP, in the Waukesha case, which includes domestic charges from Nov. 20-21.)

"I'm not trying to add any conclusion or blur the lines" between the two cases, Opper said.

But Perri said such an inclusion would almost certainly cause confusion for a Waukesha County jury.

"To introduce these explosive allegations for the pending Milwaukee case ... will deprive Mr. Brooks" of a fair jury trial, he said.

Dorow, in making "some general observations" about the Milwaukee evidence, noted the differences between the Milwaukee and Waukesha incidents. Those include the fact that Brooks' actions in Milwaukee were more domestic in nature, not the kind of act he is accused of in running down strangers.

Her larger concern was whether such evidence could unduly prejudice a jury. "That is where this court has a grave concern," Dorow said.

She ultimately ruled against Opper's motion, saying that the admission of such evidence "would be unfairly prejudicial."

On the other hand, Dorow supported Opper's motion to allow what essentially will be a tour of the parade route during the October trial. A plan will be submitted by Sept. 2.

The case will continue as the court works through the process of refining the jury pool. A status hearing is set for Sept. 9. Dorow indicated she hopes to have a pool of 315 jurors available for attorneys during the jury selection process from Oct. 3-5 in the monthlong trial.

Brooks remains in custody at the Waukesha County Jail on $5 million bail.

[sleepysera]

6.21.22 Headlines

WORLD NEWS

Ukraine: Secret, deadly rescue missions (AP)

“A series of clandestine, against-the-odds, terrain-hugging, high-speed helicopter missions to reach the Azovstal defenders in March, April and May are being celebrated in Ukraine as among the most heroic feats of military derring-do of the four-month war. Some ended in catastrophe; each grew progressively riskier as Russian air defense batteries caught on.”

China: Police deputy dismissed over attack on female diners (BBC)

“A deputy police director in China has been removed from office following an investigation into a brutal attack on a group of women in a restaurant. The attack in Tangshan city saw a group of men beating four female diners. The incident, captured in a shocking viral video, sparked an intense debate about gender violence in China.”

Israel: Government fast-tracks bill to dissolve parliament (AP)

“Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced on Monday that he would disband his alliance of eight ideologically diverse parties, a year after taking office, and send the country to the polls. A series of defections from his Yamina party had stripped the coalition of its majority in Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset. Bennett cited the coalition’s failure earlier this month to extend a law that grants West Bank settlers special legal status as a main impetus for new elections.”

US NEWS

Uvalde School Shooting: Police had rifles earlier than known (AP)

“Multiple police officers armed with rifles and at least one ballistic shield stood and waited in a school hallway for nearly an hour while a gunman carried out a massacre of 19 elementary students and two teachers, according to a Monday news report that marks the latest embarrassing revelation about the failure of law enforcement to thwart the attack. The officers with heavier firepower and tactical equipment were there within 19 minutes of the gunman arriving on campus — earlier than previously known, according to documents reviewed by the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV.”

Economy: Stocks gain ground, clawing back a piece of last week’s drop (AP)

“Stocks rose broadly on Wall Street Tuesday, clawing back some of the ground they lost in their worst weekly drop since the beginning of the pandemic. The S&P 500 rose 2.4% as of 10:11 a.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 508 points, or 1.7%, to 30,402 points and the Nasdaq jumped 2.9%.”

Wisconsin Parade: Man accused in fatal parade crash changes plea (AP)

“A man accused of killing six people and injuring dozens more when he allegedly drove his SUV through a Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee last year has decided to mount an insanity defense, his attorneys said Monday. Darrell Brooks Jr. faces more than 80 charges, including six homicide counts, in connection with the Nov. 21 incident in Waukesha. He pleaded not guilty in February.”

[deadbilly]

Without bail reform the Waukesha Christmas parade attack would not be possible.

[justbeingnamaste]

President Joe Biden left the White House Tuesday evening for his long Thanksgiving vacation in Nantucket, with no plans to visit the victims of the horrific killing of families at the Waukesha Christmas Parade earlier this week.

Six people were killed at the annual parade on Sunday after the driver of an SUV intentionally drove into a crowd of people watching the parade.

Five adults were killed and authorities announced Tuesday that an eight-year-old boy died from his injuries. At least 60 others were injured. Police arrested Darrell E. Brooks Jr., 39, for the attack.

The White House did not announce any plans for the president to visit the grieving Waukesha community.

[coochiequeens]

If the pigs took domestic violence and statutory rape seriously his ass would have been in jail and those 5 people would still be alive

The five people killed by a driver who rammed into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Sunday evening have been identified.

Waukesha Police Chief Daniel Thompson read out the names at a press conference on Monday afternoon: Virginia Sorenson, 79; LeAnna Owen, 71; Tamara Durand, 52; Jane Kulich, 52; and Wilhelm Hospel, 81. Mr Thompson also confirmed the injury toll had risen from 40 to 48.

The suspected driver, 39-year-old Darrell Brooks, is facing five counts of first-degree intentional homicide, police said. He was allegedly involved in a “domestic dispute” moments prior to driving onto the parade route, and court records show he has an extensive rap sheet dating back to 1999.

Video from the tragedy showed a red SUV barrelling at high speed into band members and cheerleaders marching in close formation, striking multiple people and scattering the crowd.

Witnesses described the “horrifying” incident and said the “calm” driver was “going from side to side, targeting people”.

Children’s Wisconsin, a paediatric hospital in Milwaukee, confirmed it treated 18 minor victims, ranging in age from three to 16 years old. Six of the child victims required surgery and 10 remained in the intensive care unit as of midday Monday.

The suspect who is accused of plowing into a Christmas parade in Waukesha had been released on bail just a few days before the deadly attack on charges of driving over an ex-partner.

Darrell Edward Brooks, 39, was taken into custody on Sunday night shortly after a red Ford Escape SUV drove into a the parade in the Wisconsin city, killing five and injuring 48 people, including 18 children aged 3 to 16.

Waukesha Police Chief Daniel Thompson said Mr Brooks would be charged with five counts of intentional first-degree homicide, and further charges were likely.

Mr Thompson said police were called to a domestic disturbance involving Mr Brooks just before the tragedy occurred, but he had left the scene in his SUV before they arrived.

He drove towards the parade route before smashing through a police barricade and colliding with marchers at high speed on Waukesha’s Main St at 4.39pm local time.

According to criminal record searches, Mr Brooks was a longtime felon whose offending dated back to 1999. He has convictions for drug and firearm possession, strangulation, battery and resisting arrest, has been sentenced to two prison terms, and spent years on probation and under court supervision.

On 2 November, Mr Brooks was arrested on domestic violence charges after he allegedly tried to run over the mother of his child.

He was charged with recklessly endangering safety, felony bail jumping, battery, obstructing an officer and disorderly conduct.

Brooks posted the $1,000 bond and was released on 11 November.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm released a statement on Monday morning to say the bail recommendation was “inappropriately low” in light of his criminal record and the active charges against him.

He said the bail recommendations were “not consistent” with his office’s approach on defendant’s facing violent crime charges and he would be undertaking an internal review of the decision.

Mr Brooks was also facing active charges of recklessly endangering safety and possesion of a firearm as a felon in July 2020.

In that case bail was initially set at $10,000 before being reduced to $7,500. Mr Brooks remained in custody until 9 February 2021, when he was released on $500 bail after the trial was delayed.

He is also listed as a tier two sexual offender on Nevada’s sex offender register for a 1996 conviction for statutory sexual seduction.

Mr Brooks was an amateur rapper who released several videos to YouTube under the stage name MathBoi Fly.

In a song named Half a Tikket, which was taken down by YouTube, Mr Brooks’ SUV appears onscreen behind him.

His songs frequently reference extreme violence and show automatic weapons, and he has threatened former presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama in his lyrics.

In since-deleted social media accounts, Mr Brooks described himself as an “underground hip-hop recording artist”.

Mr Brooks had also been posting on social media about the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, which concluded in Kenosha on Friday about 50 miles south of Waukesha.

But police have ruled out any link to the Rittenhouse trial, and said it was not a terrorism incident.

Police squads were seen outside Brooks’ home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Sunday night, where his damaged SUV was parked in a driveway.

Five people aged between 52 and 79 - including three members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies - died and 48 were injured after Mr Brooks drove through police barricades and into the Christmas parade.

[theindependentconservative]

I am so disgusted. The first result that shows up on Tumblr when you search Darrell Brooks, the murderer responsible for the Waukesha Christmas Parade Massacre, is about misogyny and violence against women by a “black lesbian supremacist”. What the fuck. This was a targeted attack against white people. How can they deliberately not acknowledge that.

I haven't done enough research on it to warrant an opinion yet.