Darrell Brooks Apologizes for Behavior in the Courtroom

Accused Waukesha parade killer Darrell Brooks apologized to the judge on Monday morning for his behavior in the courtroom the previous week.

Brooks, 40, is accused of killing six people by recklessly driving an SUV through the Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Sixty-two others were injured.

“I would like to issue the court an apology from me, in regards to my actions last week during the trial,” Brooks said.

The defendant is representing himself throughout the trial as a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen. He was dressed in a full suit, which differed from the orange uniform he wore during the first week of trial.

“I just want the court to understand it’s very emotional right now,” Brooks said. “Not only for just the whole situation of the trial, the families here that have to go through everything that’s going to be involved with the trial, but also my family as well and myself. It’s very, very emotional, but not to excuse my actions, I should have carried myself with better respect than that. I wasn’t raised that way.”

Brooks fired his attorneys before jury selection began. Actions made while representing himself last week caused Judge Jennifer Dorow to order him out of the courtroom.

On Oct. 6, when Brooks was directed out of the courtroom, he claimed he was injured while being moved. Brooks asked for his own inmate complaint to report use of force.

Brooks remained in the courtroom for the entirety of Monday’s testimony.

Dorow began Monday morning by discussing the issue of Brooks’ witness list. Brooks was not confident in finding the most recent addresses for a number of his witnesses but received advisement from the judge on completing those subpoenas. It was then determined Brooks’ subpoenas would serve as his witness list.

During testimony, the defendant claimed to not identify by the name Darrell Brooks, a trend continuing throughout the trial.

The first witness behind the stand on Monday morning was Waukesha Police Det. Thomas Casey. Casey was the first officer to attempt to stop Brooks’ vehicle from allegedly entering the parade route.

“Any speed is too fast on a parade route, where there are tons of people walking,” Casey said. “A car should not be there.”

Bryce Butryn, another officer patrolling the parade route on Nov. 21, 2021, recalled seeing things and people flying from the vehicle.

“There were multiple casualties on both sides of the road, varying degrees of injuries to people,” Butryn said. “The only way to describe it is just pure chaos. There were people pulling at me in multiple directions trying to help people.”

Following Butryn, Waukesha Police Officer Sonia Schneider was called by the state.

Brooks, accompanied by a Bible and several file boxes at the defendant’s table, began to cross-examine Schneider.

Schneider kept strong eye contact with Brooks, as he repeated his questions.

The defendant representing himself claimed Schneider had not completed proper preparation, because she had not read the criminal complaint in full.

“I’m just trying to find out why she wouldn’t read the whole complaint,” Brooks said.

District Attorney Sue Opper asked Schneider if she was able to identify the vehicle operator as the defendant in the room.

Schneider pointed towards Brooks, seated at the defendant’s table, and identified him as the operator of the vehicle that killed six people by plowing through the Christmas parade crowd.

Testimony is said to be completed by Oct. 13 or 14.

Following the apology made by Brooks early Monday morning, he continued to interrupt the court process throughout witness testimonies. Most of his objections were overruled by Dorow.