'How my story ends': Jurors hear from Waukesha Christmas parade suspect in first hours after arrest

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Waukesha Christmas parade trial continued on Tuesday with witness testimony about police interrogations of the suspect in the attack.

The defendant, Darrell Brooks, was questioned for more than five hours, according to testimony.

Waukesha Detective Jay Carpenter led the interrogations and took the stand on Tuesday to talk about what Brooks told him in the hours after his arrest.

Detectives questioned Brooks about where he was at the time of the parade, while already knowing what he was accused of doing.

Carpenter said Brooks was very friendly with law enforcement at the start but turned defensive when asked about how he got to Waukesha on the day of the parade.

"A reasonable person, I believe, at this point in the interview, knew what they were looking at, they were looking at a domestic abuse incident. Why simply asking him how he got out here, as far as transportation, made him nervous was alarming," Carpenter said during testimony.

Brooks told detectives during the interrogation that he traveled to Waukesha in a friend's tan Kia on Nov. 21 to watch the Packers game. He said he left the watch party to meet up with the mother of his child because she owed him money. 

The story Brooks told didn't match what detectives said actually happened.

Detectives confronted Brooks on the reports by showing pictures of the suspect allegedly driving a red Ford SUV.

Brooks initially denied the photo was of him.

"You got a key in your pocket to a car in your mom's name, and that key works for that car," Carpenter said during the interrogation. "You were seen in the car driving, kind of acting a fool, in basically the same area you've already been able to describe for me. I'm just trying to figure out how and why it happened. What made you tear out of there?"

Brooks refused to answer any questions without knowing what charges he was facing.

At that point in the interrogation, Carpenter testified he didn't know the full extent of casualties, but he did know there were at least five people killed and dozens more injured.

"A kid got hurt?" Brooks asked during the interrogation. "Man, I wouldn't want to see that happen to nobody."

Carpenter attempted to show Brooks a video of a red SUV driving through the parade route. The screams from spectators can be heard, but Brooks never turned his eyes toward the screen.

"I understand my life is over. I'm trying to come to grips with that. I'm trying to come to grips with the fact that this is how my story ends," Brooks said.

Carpenter said he was simply looking for an explanation or a motive.

Judge Jennifer Dorow allowed Brooks to call one of his witnesses out of order Tuesday morning due to a scheduling conflict with the Spanish interpreter. 

This was Brooks' first opportunity to question a witness on direct.

Attorney Julius Kim said the rules are slightly different. On direct can be more open-ended questions, whereas cross examination allows for some more leading questions.

"Mr. Brooks doesn't have experience doing that, and I think he gets frustrated because he doesn't know how to respond and not having that experience, that knowledge is hurting him in the courtroom, although he's doing the best he can in all honesty," Kim said.

Brooks objected to nearly every question from the state, if not all, according to the judge.

The defendant became argumentative when Dorow didn't sustain his objections.

"I think what happened was that Mr. Brooks thought that the judge was being unfair, because up until this point of time, she had sustained some of his objections for leading, etc., and then suddenly she's not, and I think that he was confused by the fact that there are different rules depending on who is questioning a particular witness," Kim said.

Brooks was removed from the courtroom for his behavior for the first time in more than a week.

"It seemed to me that his commentary became much more audible. He was muttering under his breath and clearly showing disrespect for the court and the proceedings," Dorow said.

Brooks returned to the courtroom after about 10 minutes.

The court will visit the red SUV around noon on Wednesday.