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Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy: Darrell Brooks now faces 77 charges

Darrell Brooks Parade Scene.jpg
Posted at 4:24 PM, Jan 12, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-12 23:20:38-05

WAUKESHA, Wis. — The Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy suspect Darrell Brooks is facing new charges after an amended criminal complaint was filed on Wednesday.

Brooks, 39, is now facing 77 charges which include the following:

  • First-degree intentional homicide: 6 counts
  • First-degree recklessly endangering safety: 61 counts
  • Hit and run, resulting in death: 6 counts
  • Felony bail jumping: 2 counts
  • Misdemeanor battery: 2 counts
Darrell Brooks
Darrell Brooks, center, is escorted out of the courtroom after making his initial appearance, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021 in Waukesha County Court in Waukesha, Wis. Prosecutors in Wisconsin have charged Brooks with intentional homicide in the deaths of at least five people who were killed when an SUV was driven into a Christmas parade. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Six people died and more than 60 people were injured after prosecutors say Brooks sped his car into the crowd at the Waukesha Christmas parade on Sunday, Nov. 21.

Brooks is in Waukesha County Jail on $5 million bond for the Waukesha parade tragedy.

Waukesha victims
Waukesha Christmas parade victims

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waukesha christmas parade
Six people died and more than 60 people were injured after prosecutors say Brooks sped his car into the crowd at the Waukesha Christmas parade on Sunday, Nov. 21.
WAUKESHA CHRISTMAS PARADE
Darrell Brooks

Brooks had been charged for running his girlfriend over with a vehicle in Milwaukee on Nov. 2, prosecutors say. The woman suffered a dislocated left femur and a fractured right ankle. Brooks was out on a $1,000 bond for that incident when, three weeks later, he drove his SUV through the Waukesha parade.

For the Nov. 2 incident, Brooks was charged with recklessly endangering safety and bail jumping, among other charges. The Milwaukee County District Attorney's office has come under criticism for issuing a low bond for Brooks in that incident.

An attorney hired by the Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers' administration says a complaint demanding the removal of the Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm is invalid. The complaint was filed last month over Chisholm's office handling of Brooks' bail recommendation.

District Attorney John Chisholm
District Attorney John Chisholm

Attorney Matthew Fleming wrote in a memo to Evers that the complaint has a host of technical issues.

He wrote that nothing indicates the group swore oaths that they believe their statements were true, notary verifications were incomplete and the group failed to allege any facts that show Chisholm neglected his duties.

TMJ4 found that setting low bails for domestic violence offenders is not uncommon under Chisholm’s leadership. We uncovered 45 felony cases assigned to one district attorney, where bail was set at less than a thousand dollars.

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