Let’s take a look at “Darrell Brooks Trial & Verdicts” Darrell Brooks, the man who allegedly murdered six people by ramming his SUV through a Christmas parade, had been fleeing after punching his ex-girlfriend, a prosecutor said during opening statements.
Assistant District Attorney Zachary Wittchow said Brooks “took the coward’s way out” when it became apparent that police were going to get involved.
Darrell Brooks Trial & Verdicts: ‘Coward’ Drove into and Murdered Waukesha Paradegoers After Beating His Ex-Girlfriend, Jurors Hear
Darrell Brooks, the man who allegedly murdered six people by ramming his SUV through a Christmas parade, had been fleeing after punching his ex-girlfriend, a prosecutor said during opening statements. Assistant District Attorney Zachary Wittchow said Brooks “took the coward’s way out” when it became apparent that police were going to get involved.
Darrell Brooks Beat His Ex-Girlfriend, Then Drove Through Christmas Parade: Prosecutor
Prosecutor Zachary Wittchow told the jury that they will hear witnesses testify that Darrell Brooks beat his ex-girlfriend during a fight before driving through the Waukesha Christmas parade. “So the evidence is going to show that the defendant must have known once things got loud and once there was more than just him and Erica on scene, the police were going to show up. So he took the coward’s way out,” prosecutor Wittchow said.
WATCH: Waukesha parade suspect #DarrellBrooks started to laugh after a witness said that Brooks told the mother of his child that he was going to find her and kill her. pic.twitter.com/LfPhQF7Gpm
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) October 6, 2022
Brooks faces dozens of charges. Foremost are first-degree intentional homicide charges for killing six people: Jackson Sparks, 8, Tamara Durand, 52, Jane Kulich, 52, Leanna “Lee” Owen, 71, Virginia Sorenson, 79, and Wilhelm Hospel, 81.
Wittchow told jurors in opening statements on Thursday that Brooks engaged in a “violent domestic argument” with Patterson, the mother of his child, on Nov. 21, 2021. He said that Patterson will testify that she was staying at a women’s center. Brooks showed up in Waukesha in his red Ford Escape SUV. He argued with her, harassed her, punched her in the face, and took her all over town that afternoon, the prosecutor said.
“The thing about a swollen eye is it’s tough to fake,” Wittchow said.
At some point, after Brooks hit her, Erica called her friends for help, the prosecutor said. Runkel, a roommate at the women’s center, responded. Brooks suggested when cross-examining her on Thursday that she could not know it was him in the vehicle because she had never seen the “boyfriend” before or knew what car he would be driving.
Runkel identifies this picture of Erica Patterson. This is how she looked the night of Nov. 21st after the #WaukeshaParade. Patterson is the mother of Brooks' child. They were fighting the day of the parade. #DarrellBrooks pic.twitter.com/hz3j4sCc1Z
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) October 6, 2022
Runkel said that she knew who it was because Patterson told her about going to meet “Darrell Brooks.”
To be clear, Brooks, who is a self-professed “sovereign citizen,” has been avoiding discussing himself in the first person.
Police were called. There was a marked car nearby. Brooks must have known officers were going to show up once things go loud, the prosecutors said.
“So he took the coward’s way out,” the prosecutor said.
Darrell Brooks refers to "Brooks" in the third person, because as we know, he doesn't acknowledge that he's #DarrellBrooks. pic.twitter.com/U3QDamww6D
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) October 6, 2022
So-called sovereign citizens assert that the government holds no true, legal sway over them because they, not the government, are the “sovereign.”
Runkel arrived on Patterson’s behalf in front of the White Rocks School. As seen on surveillance footage, she got into a physical and verbal altercation with Brooks, Wittchow said. The prosecutor told jurors they would see what Brooks would react once “he lost his physical advantage over a woman.”
With no one else in the car, Brooks got in the SUV and drove off, Wittchow said. He struck dozens of people, starting with survivor Nicole White and ending with 19 victims with the Catholic Communities of Waukesha, the prosecutor said.
Darrell Brooks says he's deferring his opening statement until after the state rests. He said he needs more time.
It's not that unusual for the defense to defer their opening. We had that in our trial last week. #DarrellBrooks #WaukeshaParade— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) October 6, 2022
After striking Nicole, Brooks was legally required to stop the vehicle, the prosecutor said. Not only did he fail to stop, evidence will show he sped up, Wittchow said. As Brooks’ body count increased, so did his motive to get away, the prosecutor said.
Brooks said he is saving his opening statement for after the state rests their case.
