MADISON, Wis. –
A Wisconsin man accused of killing six people and injuring many others by driving an SUV right into a Christmas parade final yr clearly meant to kill people, prosecutors informed jurors Tuesday.
Darrell Brooks faces 76 prices in reference to the mayhem final November in Waukesha, a Milwaukee suburb, together with six counts of first-degree intentional murder. He would face necessary life in jail if convicted of any of the murder counts.
Waukesha County District Attorney Susan Opper centered on Brooks’ intent throughout her closing arguments as Brooks’ monthlong trial wound down. His failure to cease after hitting the primary individual within the parade reveals he meant to kill people, she stated.
“Just cease driving. That’s it. It’s actually that easy. Not one individual had to be hurt that day if he would have simply stopped driving,” Opper stated. “He plowed by means of 68 totally different people. Sixty-eight. How are you able to hit one and maintain going? How are you able to hit two and maintain going? How are you able to hit three and maintain going? It did not faze him a bit. He stored going till he bought to the tip and there have been no extra our bodies to hit.”
She concluded her remarks by enjoying a video of what she stated was “the carnage” Brooks induced within the parade.
The livestream The Associated Press has been utilizing to view the trial proceedings didn’t pan to the video, however Judge Jennifer Dorow appeared to wince at one level whereas viewing it, and Deputy District Attorney Lesli Boese appeared to choke again tears.
Brooks initially pleaded not responsible by motive of psychological illness however withdrew the plea in September with out rationalization. Just days earlier than his trial started Oct. 3, he dismissed his public defenders and elected to symbolize himself.
He has spent on daily basis of the trial arguing with Dorow, refusing to acknowledge his personal identify and insisting the state has no jurisdiction over him. Multiple occasions, the decide has had bailiffs transfer him to one other courtroom the place he might watch the proceedings by way of video however she might mute his microphone when he grew to become disruptive.
The decide allowed him to give his closing arguments to the jury in individual on Tuesday. He tried to argue that the SUV had been recalled due to a throttle malfunction. After Opper objected — a Wisconsin State Patrol car inspector testified earlier within the trial that the car was in good working order, together with the brakes — he steered the driving force might need panicked. He famous that some witnesses testified they heard the SUV’s horn honking.
He did not fairly acknowledge he was the driving force however stated that at night time when he is alone in his cell he typically asks questions how “this” occurred. But he has by no means requested himself if “this” was intentional as a result of he is aware of it wasn’t. He did not clarify what he was referring to with the phrase “this.”
“Throughout this yr I’ve been known as quite a lot of issues,” Brooks stated. “And to be truthful I’m quite a lot of issues. A assassin shouldn’t be one among them.”
“You want to look within the mirror, Mr. Brooks,” Opper stated throughout her rebuttal. “Your actions are that of a assassin.”
Prosecutors allege Brooks bought right into a battle together with his ex-girlfriend on the streets of Waukesha because the parade was beginning Nov. 21, fled in his SUV and drove it into the parade. Opper informed the jury that she does not know why Brooks entered the parade aside from he was enraged.
In addition to the murder counts, he faces 61 counts of reckless endangerment. Each murder rely carries a compulsory life sentence. Each reckless endangerment rely carries a most sentence of 17 1/2 years in jail.