Car Intentionally Drove Into Waukesha Christmas Parade: Complaint

WAUKESHA, WI — A criminal complaint detailed what happened when a man drove an SUV through Waukesha's Christmas parade on Sunday — describing it as an intentional act based on witness accounts and an officer who saw the events unfold. Six people were killed in the crash and more than 60 injured.

Darrell Brooks Jr., 39, was charged Tuesday with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide stemming from Sunday's incident.

Prosecutors said they intended to file a sixth intentional homicide charge after the death of a sixth victim. Brooks’ bail was set at $5 million cash.

Squads were dispatched Sunday regarding two people fighting in the area of White Rock School, which is on White Rock Avenue, according to the criminal complaint.

A Waukesha police detective heard a horn honking and went to see where it was coming from, the complaint said.

Parade participants filled both White Rock Avenue and East Main Avenue at the time.

Paradegoers were spreading apart, and the detective saw a red Ford Escape southbound on White Rock Avenue. People began jumping out of the way of the SUV, the complaint said.

The detective pounded on the hood of the SUV and yelled “Stop” multiple times, the complaint said.

The SUV turned westbound on East Main Street and was going slowly at the time, the complaint said. The detective went to the driver’s side window and pounded on the door again yelling, “Stop,” the complaint said.

The vehicle drove past the detective and into the parade procession, the complaint said.

The SUV started going faster when the detective began running after it, the complaint said.

A few seconds later, the detective heard on the police radio that the SUV was striking people and going westbound on East Main Street, the complaint said.

Going westbound on East Main Street, Brooks struck numerous pedestrians, including parade participants and spectators lined along the side of the road, the complaint said.

Another officer, who was doing crowd control, put his hand up and yelled, “Stop, stop the vehicle” multiple times, the complaint said.

Brooks looked straight ahead, directly at the officer, and it appeared he had no emotion on his face, the complaint said.

At first the officer thought Brooks was lost but he continued down East Main Street, the complaint said. Brooks was honking the vehicle's horn and then he sped up, the complaint said.

“At this point, it was clear to the officer that this was an intentional act to strike and hurt as many people as possible,” the complaint said.

The officer saw the SUV appear to be intentionally moving side to side, striking multiple people, and bodies and objects were flying in the air, the complaint said.

Another officer shot at and struck the car three times to try to make it stop, the complaint said.

“As I continued to watch the SUV, it continued to drive in a zigzag motion. It was like the SUV was trying to avoid vehicles, not people. There was no attempt made by the car to stop, much less slow down,” one witness was quoted saying in the complaint.

Another witness described the same zigzag driving pattern by the SUV and said he felt it was “a direct intent to hit as many parade participants,” the complaint said.