Darrell Brooks trial: Brooks defiant before new state witnesses take stand

WAUKESHA, Wis. - The trial of Darrell Brooks resumed Friday, Oct. 14 with immediate interruptions by the defendant, who is accused in the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy.

Moments after the jury was brought into the Waukesha County courtroom, Brooks was raising an issue with paperwork that was left at his position – paperwork Judge Jennifer Dorow said needed to be taken up with the clerk of courts, and was not going to be addressed in court. Brooks questioned this loudly – and the jury was escorted back out of the courtroom. 

Despite pleading with Brooks to stop the interruptions, and threatening to remove him to an adjacent courtroom, Brooks kept up with his interruptions and demands of the court. Judge Dorow then proceeded to take another break – to let Brooks "cool down." 

Craig Liermann, Assistant Police Chief for Franklin Police Department

First to take the stand for the state on Friday was Craig Liermann, Assistant Police Chief for the Franklin Police Department. He testified that he attended the Waukesha Christmas Parade with his family – as a civilian. He indicated he and his family wanted to get in the holiday spirit. 

Liermann talked about when the driver of a red SUV came barreling down the parade route. He indicated the vehicle's engine was revving higher than a vehicle normally would – almost like it was in the wrong gear. 

"I could see the vehicle was traveling faster," Liermann said. "I could tell something was wrong."

Liermann told the court he got a good look at the driver of the SUV – describing him in detail. Liermann then talked about how the SUV drove right through the Catholic Community of Waukesha group on the parade route. 

"When he drove through that group, he struck many of them, run over. I could see people come out from under the vehicle," Liermann said.

Liermann told the court he never saw the vehicle slow down, never saw brake lights, and never heard a horn honking from the SUV. 

"There was no panic, no distress. It seemed to me like he was excited about what he was doing," Liermann said. 

Ralph Salyers, Wauwatosa Police officer

The second person to take the stand for the state was Ralph Salyers, a Wauwatosa Police officer. He testified that his daughters were walking in the Waukesha Christmas parade with their dance team. 

Salyers said he was with his family watching the parade near the southeast corner of Maple and Main. After his daughters passed by in the parade –  his family left the parade to pick up his daughters at Cutler Park. From there they decided to head home. 

As he was walking toward his vehicle Salyers testified that he saw an SUV driving in an alley by Maple Street and heard a crash. He then observed the damaged SUV. 

"I saw the driver come out and look at the front of the vehicle and yell," said Salyers. "He appeared to be panicked. He went back and got items out of the driver's side of the vehicle and then ran southbound." 

Bryce Scholten, City of Waukesha Police officer

After a 15-minute break, the state called Bryce Scholten to the stand. He is a City of Waukesha Police officer.He told the court he was working on the parade route when he heard over his radio the call for service for a domestic disturbance in Frame Park – which was east of his location. 

"I started hearing radio traffic about a reserve officer or community service officer requesting an ambulance because someone had been hit," said Scholten. "It was tough to piece all together. I didn't know exactly what was going on. I have a collar mic, I don't have an earpiece. So, between listening to the radio microphone and parade, it was sort of hard to piece together. 

Scholten told the court he initially believed it was connected with the domestic incident. However, after a few minutes he realized something was happening. That's when he walked away form his post, past his barricade and into the parade route. He could only see 100 yards or fewer, at that point he heard more screams. 

At that time, Scholten said he saw a red blur come past the Wisconsin House westbound. 

"I realized what had happened at that point. There was extreme damage to the vehicle that point. Damage you’d see in a traffic crash between two vehicles," said Scholten. At that point, between all the screaming I heard, everyone calling for ambulances and help, I knew now people hit by a vehicle. At that point, I thought it was a terror attack at the parade."

Scholten said as the vehicle navigated  southbound it accelerated towards him.

"That is when I knew I had to use deadly force to stop the threat," said Scholten. 

As new testimony is brought to the case, FOX6 News will update this post.

Thursday developments

On Thursday, Brooks tried again, unsuccessfully, to get the case dismissed. Brooks went on a 50-minute rant late Thursday morning, calling for the dismissal of the case against him, citing a number of reasons why proceedings shouldn't continue. Judge Jennifer Dorow denied the request, stating, "This trial will keep going."

He made multiple demands to the court, noting that he had requested certified copies of "everything." He said the docket sheet was not certified, nor was Dorow's oath of office that "you stated for the record you would not give me."

After 50 minutes, Judge Dorow stopped Brooks, noting he had "repeated yourself a number of times." She gave the state a chance to respond.

Waukesha County District Attorney Sue Opper said Brooks "knowingly and willingly insisted on representing himself at trial." Opper called back to Brooks’ "it don’t make me flinch one bit" comment about acting in his own defense.

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Opper said Brooks' sovereign citizen statements "are frivolous and wholly without merit." She brought up the fact that Brooks used the word "treason" and said it was "absolutely shocking that he would throw such a word around."

Prosecutors say Brooks drove a red SUV through the parade route on Nov. 21, 2021, killing six and injuring more than 60 others. 

On Nov. 21, 2021, according to prosecutors, Brooks met up with his ex-girlfriend in Frame Park, the same woman he is accused of running over with his red SUV earlier in November 2021. She told police they argued in his SUV before he started driving, and he "was driving around with one hand and striking her in the face with his other hand." She eventually got out and called her friends for help. 

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Soon after that, according to prosecutors, Brooks drove that red SUV through the parade route, killing Jackson Sparks, 8, Virginia Sorenson, 79, LeAnna Owen, 71, Tamara Durand, 52, Jane Kulich, 52 and Wilhelm Hospel, 81. More than 60 others were hurt.