What We Know About Darrell Brooks, Suspect in the Waukesha Parade Crash

U.S.|Here is what we cognize astir the fishy successful the parade tragedy.

• Nov. 22, 2021Updated 3:50 p.m. ET

Darrell E. Brooks Jr., who is accused of driving his maroon 2010 Ford Escape into the Christmas parade successful Waukesha, has a long, convulsive transgression past — and was freed conscionable six days agone connected $1,000 bail aft being accused of trying to tally implicit his woman with the aforesaid S.U.V.

Mr. Brooks, 39, who is from Milwaukee, has been charged with oregon convicted connected an array of charges implicit the past 22 years, including battery, home violence, cocaine possession and resisting apprehension successful respective jurisdictions successful Wisconsin.

He has served astatine slightest 2 jailhouse sentences and spent years connected probation and successful court-mandated work-release and choler absorption programs, records showed.

On Nov. 2, Mr. Brooks was arrested successful Milwaukee aft the parent of his kid accused him of punching her successful the look successful a edifice room, past pursuing her successful his S.U.V. into the parking batch of a state station, wherever helium deed her with the car, according to the police.

“Officers observed tyre tracks connected her near pants leg,” wrote 1 of the officers, according to a transgression complaint, accompanying a complaint of recklessly endangering the woman, which carries a imaginable condemnation of 10 years successful prison.

The pistillate was treated astatine a infirmary for injuries that included facial cuts and bruises. The constabulary observed “swelling connected her articulator and dried humor connected her face.”

Prosecutors agreed to merchandise Mr. Brooks connected Nov. 11 for a fraction of the $10,000 bail they initially requested. In a connection connected Monday, the Milwaukee territory attorney, John T. Chisholm, described the state’s bail proposal arsenic “inappropriately low” successful airy of the seriousness of the charges and “not consistent” with bureau policy.

“This bureau is presently conducting an interior reappraisal of the determination to marque the caller bail proposal successful this substance successful bid to find the due adjacent steps,” the connection said.

Mr. Brooks’s lawyer successful the November case, Joseph T. Domask, said successful a little telephone interrogation that helium could not remark connected the lawsuit without his client’s authorization.

In astir each 1 of his brushes with the law, Mr. Brooks resisted apprehension oregon attempted to obstruct officers, according to the records.

That signifier held existent earlier this month: When the constabulary tried to apprehension him, helium sprinted into his residence and “closed 4 doors connected officers” earlier they restrained him, according to the transgression complaint.

He besides has a agelong past of home maltreatment allegations and paternity warrants, which are typically issued for nonpayment of kid support.

Dan Thompson, main of the Waukesha Police Department, told reporters connected Monday that Mr. Brooks had been progressive successful a “domestic disturbance” instantly earlier driving done the parade. He declined to merchandise immoderate different details oregon remark connected Mr. Brooks’s erstwhile cases, saying helium did not privation to compromise the existent case.