The man accused of careening his SUV into a Wisconsin parade, killing six people and injuring more than 60 others, was a registered sex offender in Nevada and had an active arrest warrant in that state, court records show.
He was also released on bond this month after allegedly running over a woman who said she’s the mother of his child earlier this month, according to court documents.
Darrell E. Brooks, 39, of Milwaukee, is the lone suspect in Sunday’s parade tragedy, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said.
Brooks was charged Tuesday with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the parade incident, court documents show. Prosecutors said they will consider a sixth homicide charge after saying in court that a child had died.
The judge set bail at $5 million, saying he believes Brooks is a flight risk.
Some are wondering why Brooks was released on $1,000 bond after allegedly running over a woman on November 2 – an amount the district attorney’s office now calls “inappropriately low.”
What allegedly happened November 2
Brooks is accused of running over the woman with his car while she was walking through a gas station parking lot, according to a criminal complaint.
The woman told authorities she was the mother of his child, according to the criminal complaint.
“Officers observed tire tracks on her left pants leg,” the criminal complaint read.
Prosecutors filed five charges related to the incident including: obstructing an officer; second-degree recklessly endangering safety with domestic abuse assessments; disorderly conduct with domestic abuse assessments; and misdemeanor battery with domestic abuse assessments.
Brooks was also charged with bail jumping because he was already out on bail following an incident from July 24, 2020, according to court documents.
The Milwaukee County district attorney’s office now says it should not have recommended such a low bail for Brooks and have launched an internal review into the decision.
“The State’s bail recommendation in this case was inappropriately low in light of the nature of the recent charges and the pending charges against Mr. Brooks,” the office said in a statement.
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