Waukesha parade suspect Darrell Brooks questions his ex-girlfriend on the stand
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Waukesha parade suspect Darrell Brooks questions his ex-girlfriend on the stand

Darrell Brooks cross examined the mother of his child on Day 5 of his trial

Waukesha parade suspect Darrell Brooks questions his ex-girlfriend on the stand

Darrell Brooks cross examined the mother of his child on Day 5 of his trial

TOYA: WE BEGIN WITH THE WAUKESHA PARADE SUSPECT TRIAL, AND TESTIMONY FROM DARRELL BROOKS’ EX-GIRLFRIEND. PATRICK: TODAY’S WITNESS TESTIMONY WRAPPED UP JUST MINUTES AGO. DARRELL BROOKS IS ACCUSED OF KILLING SIX PEOPLE AND INJURING DOZENS OF OTHERS IN THE WAUKESHA CHRISTMAS PARADE LAST NOVEMBER. TOYA: 12 NEWS’ HILLARY MINTZ HAS BEEN COVERING EVERY MOMENT OF THE TRIAL. SHE’S LIVE OUTSIDE THE WAUKESHA COUNTY COURTHOUSE. HILLARY, BROOKS’ EX-GIRLFRIEND TOOK THE STAND TODAY. AS WE MENTIONED. REPORTER: RIGHT, TOYA, IT MADE FOR SOME TENSE MOMENTS IN COURT, BROOKS AND HIS EX HAVE LONG HISTORY TOGETHER, AND SHARE A CHILD. THIS WOMAN TOOK THE STAND, AS SHE WAS QUESTIONED BY HER ALLEGED ABUSER. ERIKA PATTERSON, ON THE WITNESS STAND FRIDAY, FACING HER EX BOYFRIEND, PARADE SUSPECT DARRELL BROOKS. SHE TESTIFIED BROOKS PUNCHED HER IN THE FACE MOMENTS BEFORE HE’S ACCUSED OF DRIVING HIS RED SUV DOWN MAIN STREET, HITTING AND KILLING SIX PEOPLE, AND INJURING DOZENS OF OTHERS. >> WHERE WAS HE SITTING? >> DRIVER’S SIDE. >> WHAT DID HE USE TO HIT YOU? >> HIS HAND. REPORTER: THE STATE SHOWED JURORS A PICTURE OF PATTERSON’S SWOLLEN EYE, AND SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM WHITE ROCK SCHOOL WHICH CAPTURED SOME OF THE ALTERCATION. BROOKS THEN HIS -- BROOKS THEN HAD HIS TURN TO CROSS EXAMINE THE MOTHER OF HIS CHILD. >> [INDISCERNIBLE] >> NO, BECAUSE I WAS CRYING THE WHOLE TIME, BECAUSE MR. BROOKS WAS YELLING AT ME, ARGUING WITH ME. REPORTER: SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING, JEREMY PHILLIPS’ RADIO WENT OFF AGAIN FOR PERSONS HIT ALONG THE PARADE ROUTE. THE STATE SHOWED JURORS HIS DASH CAMERA VIDEO AS HE RUSHED TO MAIN STREET. >> IT WAS JUST MASS CHAOS, CARNAGE EVERYWHERE. REPORTER: PHILLIPS SAYS HE TRIED TO HELP SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE WAUKESHA SOUTH BAND. >> SHE SAID, OFFICER, I SAW WHAT HAPPENED, I SAW WHO DID THIS. I SAID, WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME? SHE SAID A RED SUV SPED THROUGH THE PARADE ENDED THIS. TOYA: HILLARY JOINS US AGAIN NOW, HE IS MAKING A SUCCESSFUL ARGUMENT THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT THE OFFICER’S DASH CAMERA VIDEO WE JUST SAW? REPORTER: RIGHT, BROOKS ARGUED THAT THERE ARE SOME SOUNDS, SOME AUDIO AND THE VIDEO THAT THE JUDGE HAD DEVIOUSLY RULED ON THAT COULD NOT BE BROUGHT UP AT TRIAL. WHILE THE JUDGE SAYS SHE IS INCLINED TO STRIKE THAT VIDEO FROM EVIDENCE ALTOGETHER, SHE WILL MAKE A FINAL RULIN
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Waukesha parade suspect Darrell Brooks questions his ex-girlfriend on the stand

Darrell Brooks cross examined the mother of his child on Day 5 of his trial

Friday morning's testimony began with state prosecutors calling Erika Patterson to testify.Patterson says her history with Brooks goes back 15 years, and they have a child together.On Nov. 21, 2021, Patterson told jurors she was arguing with Brooks in his car near Frame Park in Waukesha when she claims Brooks struck her in the face with a "closed fist.""I cried, and then I just jumped out of the car and then going towards down the hill. That's when he was following me," Patterson said.Patterson says some friends came to help her and said Brooks drove off in the red SUV.Prosecutors asked Patterson to describe Brooks' demeanor."Besides the fact that he was arguing the whole time and he hit me, he was just mad. He just left very angry," Patterson said.When it was Brooks' turn to cross examine his ex-girlfriend, he first wished her a happy birthday."Good morning, and happy birthday," Brooks said.Brooks continued to question Patterson about why she agreed to meet him at Frame Park if they were arguing."Because I just wanted to, we have a 15-year-old together," Patterson said.Patterson, at times, seemed frustrated with Brooks' line of questioning, and after asking the same questions multiple times, Judge Jennifer Dorow shut it down."I'm stopping this cross-examination. You've asked the same question, multiple questions multiple times," Dorow said.Brooks did not have to be removed from the main courtroom on Friday for interrupting the judge. He was overruled on a number of objections, even telling the judge at one point he was emotional. Jurors also watched, for the first time, dash camera video from Waukesha police Officer Jeremy Phillips. Phillips responded to Frame Park for a report of a fight with a subject who has a knife. When on scene he had just started to interview Patterson when he got word over the radio that multiple people were hit on nearby Main Street. Phillips described the scene as chaos and carnage."There were parents screaming at me to help their kids. I did what basic measures that I could take as far as emergency lifesaving goes. I checked pulses. I asked them to squeeze my finger, ask them what they can move. The two or three I talked to could still move," Phillips said.The officer helped several members of the Waukesha South Band, testifying that one member told him what happened."She said, a red SUV sped through the parade and did this. She didn't say anything more than that. I said, Oh, OK. I was like, stay with your family. Stay with your parents," Phillips said.

Friday morning's testimony began with state prosecutors calling Erika Patterson to testify.

Patterson says her history with Brooks goes back 15 years, and they have a child together.

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On Nov. 21, 2021, Patterson told jurors she was arguing with Brooks in his car near Frame Park in Waukesha when she claims Brooks struck her in the face with a "closed fist."

"I cried, and then I just jumped out of the car and then going towards down the hill. That's when he was following me," Patterson said.

Patterson says some friends came to help her and said Brooks drove off in the red SUV.

Prosecutors asked Patterson to describe Brooks' demeanor.

"Besides the fact that he was arguing the whole time and he hit me, he was just mad. He just left very angry," Patterson said.

When it was Brooks' turn to cross examine his ex-girlfriend, he first wished her a happy birthday.

"Good morning, and happy birthday," Brooks said.

Brooks continued to question Patterson about why she agreed to meet him at Frame Park if they were arguing.

"Because I just wanted to, we have a 15-year-old together," Patterson said.

Patterson, at times, seemed frustrated with Brooks' line of questioning, and after asking the same questions multiple times, Judge Jennifer Dorow shut it down.

"I'm stopping this cross-examination. You've asked the same question, multiple questions multiple times," Dorow said.

Brooks did not have to be removed from the main courtroom on Friday for interrupting the judge. He was overruled on a number of objections, even telling the judge at one point he was emotional.

Jurors also watched, for the first time, dash camera video from Waukesha police Officer Jeremy Phillips. Phillips responded to Frame Park for a report of a fight with a subject who has a knife. When on scene he had just started to interview Patterson when he got word over the radio that multiple people were hit on nearby Main Street. Phillips described the scene as chaos and carnage.

"There were parents screaming at me to help their kids. I did what basic measures that I could take as far as emergency lifesaving goes. I checked pulses. I asked them to squeeze my finger, ask them what they can move. The two or three I talked to could still move," Phillips said.

The officer helped several members of the Waukesha South Band, testifying that one member told him what happened.

"She said, a red SUV sped through the parade and did this. She didn't say anything more than that. I said, Oh, OK. I was like, stay with your family. Stay with your parents," Phillips said.