Wisconsin Christmas Parade driver Darrell Brooks gets 1,067 years in prison and six consecutive life sentences after running over six people

Wisconsin Christmas Parade driver Darrell Brooks was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of prolonged supervision for driving his SUV into a crowd of Christmas parade attendees in Waukesha, Wisconsin last November, killing six people and injuring dozens of others.

Brooks, 40, received the conviction after a circuit court jury in Waukesha, Wis., found him guilty on October 26 of 76 counts, including the six counts of intentional homicide with use of a dangerous weapon.

On Wednesday, after two days of impassioned statements from victims and family members, Judge Jennifer Dorow imposed the sentence prescribed by law, ordering Brooks to serve a life sentence without the possibility of prolonged supervision for each of the six counts of first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon. Sentences will be consecutive, the judge said.

In addition to six consecutive life sentences for first-degree intentional homicide, Dorow also handed Brooks sentences on Wednesday totaling hundreds of years in additional custody for the other 70 counts he was convicted of last month. last.

She sentenced Brooks to 17.5 years on each of 61 counts of recklessly endangering first-degree security with the use of a dangerous weapon.

“You have absolutely no remorse for anything you do. You have no empathy for anyone,” Dorow told Brooks. “Frankly, Mr. Brooks, no one is safe from you,” she continued.

Brooks spoke for more than two hours on Wednesday afternoon, telling the court that he too struggled to understand why this tragic incident happened.

“That’s a question I struggle with,” Brooks said. “The why, the how. How could life have gotten so far from what it should be? Regardless of what many people may think of me, who I am, my family, my beliefs, I know who I am. God knows who I am. And I have no angry words,” he continued.

During his remarks, Brooks, who has represented himself, once apologized to the victims and the Waukesha community, saying no one can see the remorse he feels.

“I want you to know not only that I’m sorry for what happened, but that you couldn’t see what’s really in my heart. That you can’t see the remorse I have” Brooks told the court, “That you can’t count all the tears I’ve shed this year.”

Dorow also spoke at length about Brooks’ mental health, a topic his family members discussed during the hearing.

Mental health issues did not cause him to drive in a large crowd of people and did not play a role in the attack, judge said, citing passages and opinions from four mental health assessments of Brooks by doctors. She said he understood the difference between right and wrong. She also said that Brooks has no remorse or empathy for anyone.

“Do the mentally ill sometimes commit atrocious crimes? They do. It’s not one of those situations,” Dorow said. “There are many times, many times, good people do bad things. But there are times when the bad guys do bad things.

“There is no medicine or cure for a heart that is bent on doing evil.”

Prosecutors on Tuesday asked the judge to sentence Brooks to the maximum sentence for all convictions stemming from the attack.

“He deserves the absolute maximum sentence on all counts, consecutive,” Waukesha County District Attorney Susan Opper told the judge.

“You have seen the videos. He wasn’t the one rushing into a large group of fifty people at a time and punching them. It was linear. He hit one, went on. Strike two, carry on. Hit three, carry on. All at the end of the street. These are consecutive sentences, your honor. This is intentional, willful, willful conduct that warrants consecutive sentences piled on top of each other, just as he piled the victims on while driving down the road in complete disregard of anyone else, whoever they may be. “Opper continued.

In addition to the 762.5 years in prison for reckless endangerment, Dorow added sentences of three years for each of the two bail violation convictions and nine months for domestic assault.

Dorow said the total number of years she sentenced Brooks to serve was necessary to keep him away from the community for the rest of his life and was also symbolic.

“Ordering anything other than what I did, sir, would unduly diminish the gravity of these offences. It is necessary although largely symbolic given the number of years I have imposed here today, because frankly you deserve it,” Dorow said.

The judge said she would leave decisions about mental health treatment to the Department of Corrections.