Darrell Brooks Is Indicted on 77 Charges

The county commissioner found probable cause on 77 charges against Darrell Brooks on Friday, Jan. 14 during the preliminary trial regarding the Waukesha Christmas Parade. 

Brooks is accused of driving a car through Waukesha’s Christmas Parade resulting in six people dead and recklessly endangering 61 people. The prosecution added dozens of charges of reckless endangerment in today’s hearing. 

One witness, Detective Thomas Casey from the Waukesha Police Department, was called by the prosecution. He was on traffic control that day. Casey was one of the first people to encounter the red Ford Escape on the parade route and lead the investigation of this case. 

“I started walking towards the center of the road when I heard the horn,” said Casey. “I was actually in the center of the roadway in between the parade participants when the vehicle first appeared.” 

He said the vehicle slowed and ran into him. He said he pounded on the car’s hood telling the driver to stop and eventually ended up on the side. He identified the driver to be Darrell Brooks. 

“Initially I began chasing after the vehicle to try to get it to stop,” said Detective Casey. “As I was falling behind the vehicle I could see it was on the north side of the roadway, at times beeping its horn. Eventually, its’ speed increased where I could not keep up with it.”

Casey said that the vehicle’s speed ranged from five miles an hour to 50 miles an hour. Multiple witnesses say that Brooks did not get out of his car at any point to check on the people he hit. The car was traveling in the same direction as the parade meaning participants were not able to see what was going on behind them. The vehicle was on the parade route for about three minutes. 

“The vehicle is zigzagging through the crowd where there are no vehicles,” detective Casey said. “It appears that the vehicle is intentionally aiming for people. At one point, in the video, you can see the vehicle running over people.”

Over 60 videos from citizens, surrounding businesses and government-owned cameras depict the SUV driving through the parade. 

“At one point there was someone on the hood of the car, where the vehicle slams on its brakes,” said Detective Casey. “It appears to have the person come off the hood of the car and then continues driving and drives over that person.”

Brooks was eventually arrested after the vehicle turned off of the parade route and drove through a backyard. He eventually parked his car on Maple Avenue near the end of the parade end point. He abandoned his vehicle and continued southbound on foot until his arrest on Elizabeth Street. 

The defense highlighted that the route’s exits would have been blocked off with a barricade or squad car because of the parade. They also made an argument for the smell of burnt marijuana on Brooks and that he asked the detectives interrogating him to stop showing him pictures of the aftermath of the parade wreck. 

“Mr. Brooks indicated to one of the detectives that quote ‘I didn’t mean to kill nobody’ end quote,” said Brook’s defense lawyer. 

There is also evidence that suggests Darrell was trying to avoid hitting some citizens while on the parade route. A video caught him narrowly missing a young girl on the side of the road. 

“In fact, Mr. Brooks could have just simply stopped the car to avoid striking anybody or any object,” the prosecuting attorney said. 

The Wisconsin State Patrol Mechanical Inspection Unit inspected the vehicle and found no mechanical issues with the car that would prevent it from slowing down or stopping. At the time of the incident, Brooks had two open-pending cases in Milwaukee County Court. He was out on bail and ordered to not commit any crimes.  

Darrell is accused of first-degree intentional homicide and hit and run-resulting in death on six counts. The victims include three members of the dancing grannies, one member of the Waukesha Xtreme Dance Team, one employee of Citizens Bank and one of the players for the Waukesha Blazers baseball team.

If Brooks is found guilty of even one of these charges he would be sentenced to life in prison. 

Brooks was also indicted and charged with 61 counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of felony bail jumping and two counts of misdemeanor battery. 

“Some people have road rash, swelling muscles,” said Detective Casey. “Some people have that have skull fractures, internal injuries and multiple fractures.”

Court Commissioner Kevin Costello found probable cause in today’s hearing which means Brooks will go to trial. The arraignment is on Feb. 11 to decide the start date of his trial. He said there were victims in the audience that would not like to make a statement.