'I apologize': Darrell Brooks pledges to behave heading into second week of trial, more witnesses testify

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Darrell Brooks, the defendant in the Waukesha Christmas parade trial, apologized to the court and everyone watching the proceedings for the way he acted last week.

"I'm going to stand up as a man and tell the whole court and you, your honor, that I apologize to the bailiffs, that I apologize for my actions," Brooks said before the jurors came in Monday morning.

Brooks interrupted the court repeatedly during the first week of trial, and at times was disrespectful.

He conducted himself in an inappropriate manner for the courtroom, including taking his shirt off and ripping up documents.

Brooks was moved to a spare courtroom for this behavior multiple times after the judge warned him of the possibility.

"Not to excuse my actions. I should carry myself with better respect than that," Brooks said. "I come from a Christian background. My mother did not raise me that way. She did not raise me to act out, out of frustration and irritation and anger."

Brooks told the court that this trial has been an emotional experience for himself, his family and the families involved.

"I'm going to try my best, whatever happens, to conduct myself with respect and with respect to the court," Brooks said.

Judge Jennifer Dorow said she appreciated Brooks' apology.

"I appreciate that you, upon reflection, have realized that courtesy and decorum are an important part of the court proceedings," Dorow said.

Day six of the trial started with Brooks' cross examination of Det. Tom Casey. He previously testified on Friday.

"Do you recall any disturbances that afternoon?" Brooks asked. 

"Do you mean when you drove through the parade routes?" Casey responded.

Casey said he attempted to stop the driver he identified as Brooks. 

"Any speed is too fast on a parade route when you have all those people in the roadway. The car should not have been there," Casey said.

Other first responders also said they tried to stop the car and direct it away from the route.

"The driver appeared to be emotionless and was looking straight ahead, clearly ignoring anything that was to the sides of the vehicle," Waukesha Police Officer Bryce Butryn said.

Butryn said he watched the car swerve side-to-side, leaving people with varying degrees of injuries on both sides of the road.

"The only way to describe it is just pure chaos. There was people pulling at me in multiple directions, trying to help people," Butryn said.

The first witnesses to experience the attack said they didn't see it coming.

"I just remember being struck by the vehicle from behind, like on my, like my back. I fell to my knees and kind of like rolled under the vehicle," Nicole White said.

White appeared to nervously shake at some points during her testimony. She said she suffered torn ligaments, compressed vertebrae, and an injured tailbone. 

White said she expected the car to stop after it hit her, but it kept moving through the parade.

"I could feel the energy from the students, and all of the sudden I heard something going on," Waukesha South High School band director Sarah Wehmeier Aparicio said. 

The band director identified 10 students who were struck down in the road, leaving with them with injuries like broken bones and internal bleeding. 

A parade spectator said he attempted to chase after the driver after watching him drive over the kids.

"Just went straight over the Waukesha South band. I mean it's not like it stopped. It just went straight over. I saw the red SUV, what looked like went in the air, over a pretty big object, and it was just like a big speed bump," Kyle Jewell, a witness, said.

Dorow told the jury to disregard dash cam video they watched on Friday. It was struck from evidence because a short portion of the audio violated a pre-trial ruling prohibiting the mention of other acts Brooks is charged with in other counties.

Attorney Julius Kim, a legal expert not associated with the case, told CBS 58 the stricken evidence is likely not going to make a big difference when it comes down to deliberations. 

"There's a lot of evidence against Darrell Brooks already, and I'm not sure that hearing about one previous incident, and they may or may not have even heard it, is going to do a lot of damage," Kim said.

Kim said he thinks it's significant Brooks was able to pick up on the audio initially missed by the judge and the prosecution.

"It goes to show that he's listening, he's paying attention, he's picking up on these things," Kim said. 

Kim told CBS 58 he's impressed by Brooks' ability to cross examine witnesses.

"His cross examination is better than what I've seen some lawyers do in court over the years, in all honesty," Kim said.

Although it may sound like Brooks is asking repetitive questions, Kim said that's actually a technique experienced lawyers use. Those are foundational questions used to reframe the witnesses' thoughts for a more specific question. 

"He's got a sharp mind, in terms of looking at the evidence," Kim said. "He's picking up on relevant issues. I think he's kind of touching on this notion of intent, which I think is a very valid concern for the state and defense."

The state predicts its case will be wrapped by Friday morning. At that point, Brooks is expected to present his opening statement and call his witnesses to the stand.

Trial continues at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.