‘I can see the storm coming’: Mother of Darrell Brooks shares her fears ahead of his homicide trial
By Adam Rife
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MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — Just days before Darrell Brooks’ trial, his mother is opening up about her concerns for what her son is capable of and what he might do in court.
Jury selection begins Monday in Waukesha, and Brooks will represent himself against dozens of counts tied to his alleged role in the Waukesha parade tragedy.
His mother Dawn Woods predicts a quick trial, saying her son has no defense.
She says Brooks suffers from mental illness and she’s angry with the judge for allowing him to represent himself in court.
She does not think it will go well.
Dawn Woods said, “I can see the storm coming.”
The storm she fears is another emotional, manic outburst from her son Darrell Brooks once his homicide trial begins.
She said she has seen “Shouting, acting out, it’s throwing chairs, it’s destroying things. It’s all of the above. It’s like someone setting off a time bomb.”
Dawn has been trying to defuse that time bomb for 40 years.
She speaks with Brooks every day from jail. But she says recently his tone has changed: the stress and pressure are getting to him. She fears he’s falling completely apart, headed toward a psychotic breakdown. “I’ve been hearing Darrell slowly slipping for the past two months.”
Brooks has bipolar disorder and personality disorder. Dawn says without his medication Brooks gets explosive when he panics or is afraid.
And she said the manic episodes can last for days or months. “I don’t know when the manic is going to end. Or how far it’s going to go.”
Woods said she recognized it manifesting this week when he filed to represent himself in court and release his attorneys. “He just said, ‘well, hey, I might as well just do it myself since nobody is trying to my concerns.”
So now Brooks will be alone at the defendant’s table. And he’ll likely have little support in the courtroom. Dawn will not be at the trial in the audience. She said, “As his mother, I cannot sit there and watch those people just rip him to shreds.”
She knows he faces a lot of hatred in Waukesha. And she said he gets hate mail in jail.
But she still feels for the victims and their families, saying, “I give them my condolences. I am so sorry what happened. And I will continue to pray for them.”
When asked if she feels her son is still dangerous, Dawn Woods said she feels he’s more of a danger to himself.
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