‘Mass chaos’: Darrell Brooks trial continues with more witness testimony

By WDJT Staff

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    WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (WDJT) — The defendant, Darrell Brooks, appeared emotional in court Friday after a day’s worth of witness testimony about incidents leading up to the Waukesha Christmas Parade. “I’m trying my best to hold everything together, considering how this day has been,” Brooks said.

Brooks is accused of killing six people and hurting dozens more when he allegedly drove an SUV into the Waukesha Christmas parade route.

Just before the fatal attack, the mother of Brooks’ 15-year-old daughter said the defendant hit her, causing the left side of her face to swell.

“Like his open hand, but it was hard,” Erika Patterson said as she described the way Brooks hit her during testimony.

Patterson said Brooks fought with her friends before getting in his car and speeding off.

“He just left very angry. He just drove off fast. He was mad they called the cops,” Patterson said.

Waukesha Police Officer Jeremy Philipps testified that he responded to the incident at Frame Park involving Patterson.

“Her face was swollen. There was obvious bruising on it,” Brooks said.

Dash cam video, later struck from evidence for violating a pretrial ruling, shows Philipps taking Patterson’s statement as his radio shouted calls for back up to Main St.

“It was stating there were subjects down in the street. It was 10 people down, then it was 15, then it was to 30 or 40,” Philipps said.

Philipps said he answered the call for help.

“It was just mass chaos, carnage everywhere,” Philipps said.

Two witnesses testified seeing a red SUV near a gas station before later watching it drive through the parade route.

“As soon as that happened, about ten seconds after, I froze and I said to my mom who was with me, I just saw that guy at the gas station, and it clicked that it was the same person,” Holly Berg said.

Brooks admitted he’s not prepared for cross examination, and he told the judge he’s winging it.

After the state rests its case, Brooks will then present his opening statement.

The trial will continue on Monday, starting with Brooks’ cross examination of Det. Tom Casey who took the stand on Friday.

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