Darrell Brooks trial wraps up its second week with more witness testimony

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The court wrapped up the second week of the Waukesha Christmas Parade trial on Friday evening.

Almost all of the state's witnesses testified about seeing a red SUV drive through the Waukesha Christmas Parade on Nov. 21, 2021, but on Friday, the prosecution called witnesses who said they got a very close look at the person behind the wheel.

The defendant, Darrell Brooks, is facing 76 charges, including six counts of first-degree intentional homicide.

"I could see the vehicle was traveling at a much faster rate than any of the other participants. So, clearly something was wrong," Assistant Franklin Police Chief Craig Liermann said.

Liermann testified initially thinking the car was having a mechanical issue or the driver was suffering a medical issue, but he said he quickly realized that wasn't the case.

"He stuck his head and actually like the upper portion of his body out the driver's window and looked back behind him," Liermann said. "He turned forward, he grabbed the steering wheel, he pulled himself up off the seat and cranked the steering wheel to the right."

Liermann described the driver as a light skinned Black man in his mid-to-late 30s with facial hair and dreadlocks.

"There was no panic. There was no distress, like he was trying to stop the vehicle. In fact, he seemed to me like he was excited about what he was doing," Liermann said.

Waukesha Police Officer Bryce Scholten said he was at his post at the end of the parade route when he started to hear calls about the situation over his radio.

Scholten said by the time the car got to him he knew he needed to use deadly force to stop the threat.

"I began firing at the driver of the vehicle, and as that happened, he ran over the barricades, and ultimately left the parade route and continued southbound on Northwest Avenue," Scholten said.

Scholten testified three rounds were fired, and none of them injured the driver.

Wauwatosa Police Officer Ralph Salyers III was walking to his car after leaving the parade and unaware of what was happening on Main Street. He recalled seeing a maroon SUV driving parallel to him in the alley and hearing a crash.

Salyers said he watched the driver park the car in a driveway.

"He came around the front of the vehicle, looked at it, and yelled f***, and appeared to be panicked, went back and got items out of the driver's side of the vehicle and then ran southbound," Salyers said.

Salyers said the driver was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

He identified the driver as Brooks in the courtroom.

A Waukesha Police officer who later found the car in that location said it was registered to Dawn Woods, who is known to be Brooks' mother.

The officer said other documentation in the car had Brooks' name on it.

The prosecution will be taking the jury to see the SUV as they wrap their case, which is now expected to be on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Judge Jennifer Dorow appears to not be putting up with Brooks' usual tactics, like questioning the jurisdiction of the court.

Dorow quickly shut Brooks down when he tried to make his comments in front of jurors.

"Mr. Brooks, stop," Dorow said. "You are not being respectful to this proceeding or this jury."

Brooks also got into the argument with the judge over claims that she is being unfair and biased when ruling on objections.

"I'm like an umpire in a baseball game, sir. I call and see the legal objections as I see them," Dorow said.

The trial continues on Monday.

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