Day 11 of the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack trial: Witnesses testify about interactions with Brooks after the parade
WAUKESHA - On the first day of the third week of Darrell Brooks Jr.'s homicide and reckless endangerment trial, jurors Monday heard from witnesses who said they saw him south of the parade route after the incident and the man who briefly offered him shelter from the cold.
Brooks, 40, of Milwaukee is representing himself. He is charged with six counts of first-degree intentional homicide, 61 counts of recklessly endangering safety, six counts of hit-and-run causing death, two counts of bail jumping, all felonies, and one count of misdemeanor battery tied to the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy.
Prosecutors said it's likely they will rest their case on Wednesday. It's unclear how long it will take Brooks to present his own defense.
Waukesha County DA offered a plea agreement
Brooks began the day by denying he had received a pretrial plea offer from the state, an issue that he raised last week.
Waukesha County District Attorney Sue Opper said the offer was initially sent to Brooks and his attorneys in July, then resubmitted to him directly Thursday after he claimed he had never received one.
In return for pleading guilty to counts 1-67 in the criminal complaint, prosecutors offered to strike the penalty enhancers and dismiss the remaining counts. Opper said prosecutors would recommend six consecutive life sentences for the homicide charges.
Witnesses testify to talking to Brooks after the parade attack
The day's first witnesses testified seeing Brooks in a residential area off Maple Avenue south of the parade route.
The first was Sean Backler, who spoke directly to a person he identified in court as Brooks following the parade attack. Backler said Brooks asked him to call an Uber for him, which Backler declined to do.
Domanic Caproon also said he spoke to Brooks, who asked Caproon to call for a ride. Caproon didn't request an Uber, but he said he gave his cellphone to Brooks, who called an unknown person.
Erin Cordes testified she also talked to Brooks in the aftermath of the incident near the parade route. Brooks asked to use her phone and called his mother, Cordes testified, adding that she heard Brooks repeatedly insist his mother call him an Uber ride.
On cross-examination, Brooks challenged Backler's recollection, noting that Backler described him to police as 5 feet 9 inches tall and 160 pounds. "Do I look like I'm 5-9?" Brooks said, standing up and opening his suit jacket.
Witness let Brooks into his home
The man who briefly sheltered Brooks after he came to his home on Elizabeth Street, near Aries Industries, testified that Brooks presented himself as "homeless and cold" before police arrived.
Daniel Rider, who knew nothing about the parade incident at that time, became more nervous when he heard squad cars approaching his house, subsequently telling Brooks he would have to wait for the Uber ride he called outside the house. Rider's Ring video camera recorded the moment officers arrived and arrested Brooks.
Officers testify about Brooks' detainment outside home
Two police officers who arrested Brooks also testified.
Rebecca Carpenter — who was working as a police officer in the village of Big Bend on the day of the parade and had been dispatched to Waukesha after radio reports of shots being fired and numerous injuries at the parade — testified that she captured images of Brooks on her body camera.
In that video, Brooks is seen standing on the porch of Rider's house. That's when she pointed her gun and ordered him to the ground, where he was handcuffed.
Garrett Luling, a Waukesha police officer, was also among the law enforcement officers who canvassed Elizabeth Street searching for the parade attack suspect. He testified Brooks identified himself, matching the name found on a document inside the red SUV that careened through the parade.
Luling testified he found a key with a Ford emblem on it when he searched Brooks, but clarified on cross examination that there is no body camera footage of that search.
Waukesha Police Officer Draelon Leija, who transported Brooks to the Muskego Police Department following his arrest to be brought to a holding cell, was also asked to testify about what Brooks did or said while Leija was watching over him in Muskego.
Leija, who picked up Brooks shortly after midnight Nov. 22 at ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital for transport to Muskego, said Brooks slept most of the time during his watch, which ended at 7 a.m. Brooks asked to call his daughter, but was denied.
Detective begins detailing Brooks interrogation
The day's last witness opened testimony that prosecutors expected to run four hours, carrying over into Tuesday afternoon.
Jay Carpenter, a Waukesha police detective, had been called to interrogate Brooks after he began his investigation in the "chaotic" atmosphere surround downtown Waukesha after the Nov. 21 parade.
Among the evidence that was turned over to Carpenter was a Ford vehicle ignition key and Brooks identification card, tying him to a Milwaukee address where Dawn Woods, his mother, also lives, and a bank car belonging to his ex-girlfriend, who had reported a domestic violence incident involving Brooks at Frame Park prior to the parade incident.
Carpenter described Brooks' demeanor as "very calm" during early questioning.
But when two FBI agents arrived to ascertain if any terrorist actions were involved in the parade attack, Brooks' attitude changed.
"I could tell he was uncomfortable," Carpenter said.
Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dorow ended testimony at that point.
Contact Jim Riccioli at (262) 446-6635 or james.riccioli@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jariccioli.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Takeaways on Day 11 of Darrell Brooks Waukesha Christmas Parade trial
