Violent felon is now representing himself in the Waukesha Christmas Parade massacre trial



On November 21, 2021, hundreds took to the streets of Waukesha, Wisconsin, for the city's annual Christmas Parade. The good cheer and wholesome revelry was cut short when a red Ford Escape pulled onto the parade route and powered through the crowd, injuring nearly 50 people.

18 kids were among those badly hurt. Six people were killed, including eight-year-old Jackson Sparks, who had been marching in the parade along with his baseball team. Four of the victims were members of the Dancing Grannies, elderly women known for dancing in parades.

The trial for the individual believed responsible, 41-year-old Darrell Brooks Jr., began on Monday.

Brooks faces six counts of first-degree intentional homicide and 61 counts of felony reckless derangement. Prosecutors have indicated that an overwhelming amount of evidence stacked against him, including over 300 videos of the parade, a witness list 32-pages long, and testimonies from grieving parents, police officers, and FBI agents.

'Playing games'

Last week, Brooks withdrew his insanity/not-guilty plea and filed a motion to represent himself. He didn't offer the court any insight into the motivation behind his decision, stating only, "I have my own reasons why."

Although she warned about "what he's getting into," Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow ultimately decided on September 28 to permit Brooks to represent himself in court, noting that he was both "competent" and "coherent" enough to do so.

\u201cWaukesha Parade massacre suspect #DarrellBrooks, who is representing himself, was hauled out of the courtroom four times Monday during his jury selection.\u201d
— Law&Crime Network (@Law&Crime Network) 1664819100

The defense attorneys who Brooks subsequently dismissed, Jeremy Perri and Anna Kees, had "no comment."

Tom Grieve, a Madison-based criminal defense attorney, told the AP, "You have a defendant who feels like he has nothing to lose. He's going to try to make as big a mess as possible and force a fumble by the prosecutors or judge and try to force a mistrial or build an appeal."

Former federal prosecutor Phil Turner expects a breakdown when it comes to the cross-examinations. Turner suggested that "there's going to be an appeal, no matter what."

Seven minutes into the trial, earlier suggestions concerning Brooks' ability to derail proceedings proved true, as the defendant was ejected from the court and sent back to his holding cell for repeatedly interrupting Dorow.

The judge told Brooks subsequent interruptions would result in him watching the proceedings from an adjacent courtroom.

\u201cDay 1 of jury selection in #WaukeshaParade trial with defendant #DarrellBrooks representing himself. First thing this morning Brooks wouldn't stop interrupting the judge. She sent him back to his cell. Now he's back in the courtroom. No live stream of jury selection.\u201d
— Cathy Russon (@Cathy Russon) 1664805342

Three hours into the trial, the court was on its sixth recess due to Brooks' interruptions.

Brooks repeatedly asserted that he was a "sovereign citizen," refusing to answer Dorow's questions. Dorow characterized this assertion and its implicit rejection of the court's jurisdiction as an "obstructionist tactic."

Brooks also demanded that prosecutors provide "verified proof" that he is an American citizen.

Former Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher suggested that Brooks is delaying the inevitable and keen now just to waste everyone's time. "He's playing games, and I think he enjoys it," said Bucher.

Bucher indicated further that it's "going to be terrible for the victims and the witnesses."

Throughout the process, Brooks has been regarded as a volatile.

In August, Brooks fell asleep, having complained that he was "bored." When he awoke, he yelled at the judge and then tussled with the bailiff.

Last week, Brooks' interruptions were so frequent as to prompt the frustrated judge to adjourn until the next day.

History of violence

Brooks is a convicted sex offender, who, when aged 39, preyed upon a 15-year-old girl. In addition to impregnating the minor, he has a long track record of violent crimes.

Fox 6 reported that in September 1999, Brooks was convicted of substantial battery and intentionally causing bodily harm. Despite a two-year prison sentence, he served three year's probation and only six months in the House of Correction.

In January 2003, he pled guilty to resisting an officer.

In February 2010, he was convicted on a strangulation charge only to serve 90 days in jail.

In 2011, Brooks fled from a police traffic stop and resisted arrest.

In 2020, Brooks was charged with firing a gun at his nephew.

In November 2021, just days before the Waukesha Christmas Parade massacre, Brooks was released on $1,000 bail, having allegedly run over the mother of his child at a Milwaukee gas station.

A BLM-supporter and an advocate for knocking "white ppl [the f***] out," Brooks routinely employed violent rhetoric online.

He claimed in his songs, "yeh we terrorists," and boasted about being a "killer in the city." In addition to writing a song criticizing former President Donald Trump, Brooks repeatedly shared anti-police and anti-Semitic messages.

The massacre

According to the police complaint filed on November 23, 2021, despite numerous attempts by police to stop Brooks, he allegedly increased his speed as he drove into the crowd and over pedestrians.

The complaint alleges that one officer who had been assisting with crowd control observed Brooks' vehicle intentionally moving side to side as it rammed through the crowd, "striking multiple people ... bodies and objects were flying from the area of the vehicle."

One witness said, the vehicle "continued to drive in a zig zag motion ... There was no attempt made by the vehicle to stop, much less slow down."

Another witness stated that it had appeared the suspect drove as with "a direct intent to hit as many parade participants."

He fled the scene, and was captured by police trying to get into a nearby house.

\u201cWATCH: Darrell Brooks, the man charged with homicide in the #Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy, appears in a Ring doorbell video moments before his arrest.\u201d
— Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin (@Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin) 1637770829

Each of the six murder charges Brooks faces carries a life sentence.

Wisconsin does not have the death penalty.

Secret video of Johnny Depp smashing cabinets resurfaces during defamation trial; alleged photos of cocaine lines and bloody lampshades revealed by Amber Heard's defense team



The second week of Johnny Depp's $50 million defamation trial against Amber Heard ended with a bang. Video of Johnny Depp smashing cabinets before pouring himself a large glass of wine was shown to jurors on Thursday. Heard's defense team also presented photos of alleged drug use and a bloody lampshade.

Depp goes on an angry rampage

A video of Depp cursing and slamming cabinet doors in a fit of rage was shown in court. The video, from 2013, was secretly recorded by Heard in the kitchen of Depp's West Hollywood home.

Depp storms into the kitchen and Heard asks, "What happened?"

Depp then fiercely opens cabinet doors and then violently slams them shut after retrieving a glass cup.

Amber says, "Nothing happened this morning, you know that?"

More objects are heard being slammed in the background before Depp responds, "Nothing happened to you this morning." He then gets another glass cup.

Heard replies, "I just woke up, and you were so sweet and nice. We're not even fighting this morning. All I did was say, 'Sorry.'"

Depp raises his voice as he exclaims, "Did something happen to you this morning? I don't think so." Then the sound of more objects being destroyed can be heard in the video.

"You wanna see crazy? I'll give you crazy," the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor announces. As he pours himself a large cup of wine, he proclaims, "Here's crazy."

Heard asks Depp if he drank an entire bottle of wine "this morning."

Depp then realizes that Heard is secretly filming him with her cell phone.

Depp grabs the phone and yells, "You got this going? You sic that s*** on me, motherf***er?"

Heard responds, "You were smashing s**t."

The camera goes dark, and it sounds as if Heard chuckles.

As Depp is leaving the room he shouts, "A**."

At the trial in Fairfax, Virginia, Depp reacted to the video of him smashing cabinets.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I have had experiences in my life where one does stray from complete control over their emotions at times, and that is a very normal, primal thing to do," Depp said, according to Insider. "I did assault a couple of cabinets, yes."

Depp defended himself, "I did not try to intimidate Ms. Heard. If she was intimidated, why was she filming? If she was scared to death, why didn't she leave?"

Content Warning: graphic video

Video shown of #AmberHeard recording #JohnnyDepp slamming cupboards and other objects. Depp discovers her recording. \n\n@LawCrimeNetworkpic.twitter.com/U3DNPgb6N0
— Cathy Russon (@Cathy Russon) 1650572387

Alleged photos of lines of cocaine and bags of marijuana revealed

An alleged photo of a table containing lines of cocaine, whiskey, and a Keith Richards CD was presented to the jurors during cross-examination. The photo was allegedly taken at Heard's former home in March 2013 by the "Aquaman" actress – who claimed that Depp consumed the drugs and alcohol one morning before an argument.

Depp acknowledged that he had "fallen off the wagon" during the time the photo was taken.

WTTG reported, "When asked by attorneys if the white lines in the photo were indeed cocaine, Depp answered, 'I would assume.' When asked if the cocaine was his and if he kept it in a box that says, 'Property of JD' with a skull and crossbones image on it, Depp answered, 'Well the beautiful composition of the photograph would suggest that, certainly.'"

When asked if he would often drink whiskey in the morning, the 58-year-old actor retorted, "Isn’t happy hour any time?" The gallery laughed at the actor's response.

Johnny Depp says it's unlikely he kept cocaine in this metal box with "Property of JD" on it, depicted next to lines of cocaine.\n\n"When you put it in a box like that, chances are very good you\u2019ll leave a trail of a long line of cocaine behind you walking down the street,"pic.twitter.com/9ZU0MEwD7F
— Jacob Shamsian (@Jacob Shamsian) 1650553702

Heard's lawyer J. Benjamin Rottenborn asked about text messages sent between Depp and musician Marilyn Manson – which included a photo of four large bags of weed at the actor's recording studio.

Speaking about the photo, Depp said, “Yes, sir. That is a lot of marijuana.”

An attorney for Amber Heard continues questioning Johnny Depp about his drug use under cross. \n\nATTORNEY: "Mr. Depp, I'd like to ask you about this photo. This is a photo of four pretty huge bags of marijuana. Correct?"\n\nJD: "Yes sir. That is a lot of marijuana."\n#deppvsheardpic.twitter.com/56Qb76aSnb
— Teresa Whitaker (@Teresa Whitaker) 1650570548

Jurors were shown a photo of Depp “passed out” on a couch with ice cream all over his clothes that his ex-wife allegedly took in Boston in 2014.

The "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" star said he had worked a 17-hour day and had taken some opioids.

"Ms. Heard asked me to hold the ice cream as she noticed that I was on the nod – that means falling asleep – from the 17-hour day that I had worked and also the opiates that I had ingested," Depp testified.

“If you’ll notice, my right hand is in my pocket, so I wasn’t participating in the festival of ice cream," he noted.

"That was a wonderful picture for her to take,” Depp continued.

Rottenborn: This is you passed out?\n\n#JohnnyDepp: Passed out is an interesting word. I was asleep. \n\nDepp says he'd just worked a 17-hour day. He claims #AmberHeard stuck the ice cream in his hand knowing he was nodding off. "That was a wonderful picture for her to take."pic.twitter.com/sJv06RKOcy
— Cathy Russon (@Cathy Russon) 1650556508

A bloody lampshade revealed

A photo of a lampshade "painted" with a mixture of paint and Depp's own blood was introduced into court this week. The photo was reportedly taken at a house in Australia that the couple were staying at.

Depp said he poured himself two or three "stiff shots of vodka," stressing that it was the "first taste of alcohol I had had for a long time."

Heard allegedly told him, "Oh, you're drinking again."

Depp claimed, "She walked up to me, grabbed the bottle of vodka and then just stood back and hurled it at me. It just went right past my head and smashed behind me."

Depp responded by pouring another shot of vodka from another bottle, while Heard was allegedly "flinging insults left, right, and center."

"She then grabbed that bottle and threw that at me," Depp said, specifying that he was hit with the bottle on his hand after the large vodka bottle "made contact and shattered everywhere."

"I felt no pain at first all. I felt heat, and as if something was dripping down my hand," Depp recalled. "I was looking directly at my bones sticking out. Blood was just pouring out."

"I don’t know what a nervous breakdown feels like, but that’s probably the closest that I’ve ever been," he suggested. "Nothing made sense and I knew in my mind and in my heart that this is not life. No one should have to go through this."

He revealed that because of his meltdown that he was compelled "to write in my own blood on the walls."

"Little reminders from our past that essentially represented lies that she had told me and lies that I had caught her in," the actor explained. Depp said that he hid in the bathroom and texted his doctor to provide medical treatment for his hand.

Rottenborn said there was "a coffee cup stuck into the screen" of the TV, a broken window, "a penis" drawn on a painting, and messages written in blood and paint all over the walls and furniture.

In a previous trial in the U.K., Depp remembered, "I recall painting on a lampshade, on a wall, on a mirror. I remember dunking my finger into paint thinner and using paint when I had run out of blood to paint with, and I could have defaced the painting I suppose, but I do not remember a painting specifically."

Heard's legal team asked Depp about other destructive behavior, "You've trashed hotel rooms simply because you had a bad couple of days and an unpleasant time, right?" Depp replied, "I have assaulted a couch or two, yes, sir."

This lampshade was on the floor at the Austrailia house. #JohnnyDepp admits to writing this in a mixture of paint & blood with his injured finger. "GOOD LUCK AND BE CAREFUL AT TOP". Depp says he wrote it, "I thought it was good advice." \n\n#AmberHeard @LawCrimeNetworkpic.twitter.com/TRvQ5mYH1G
— Cathy Russon (@Cathy Russon) 1650567896
Images have been submitted to the court showing Johnny Depp\u2019s graffiti on the mirror of a rented house in Australia in his blood, in paint, and lipstick during an argument with his then wife Amber Heard.He denies attacking her describing the claims as \u201cfabricated and vicious\u201dpic.twitter.com/sDk0ckNMVl
— Adele Robinson (@Adele Robinson) 1594296992

Celebrities are expected to testify

Depp is suing Heard, 35, for $50 million over an op-ed piece she wrote in the Washington Post in 2018 – where she alleged that she is a victim of domestic abuse. The article does not name Depp specifically, but the Jack Sparrow actor claims that the opinion piece cause him to be blacklisted from the entertainment industry.

Deadline reported, "The trial, which is underway, runs Monday through Thursdays, with Fridays off. It is set to run for five weeks. However, there will be a pause from May 9-12 as Judge Azcarate attends to a previously scheduled conference engagement."

The outlet noted that celebrities such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, as well as actors James Franco and Paul Bettany, are expected to testify in the trial.

Cher issues apology after major backlash following bizarre tweet alleging that she might have prevented George Floyd’s death



Entertainer Cher issued an apology after a tone-deaf tweet in which she suggested she might have been able to prevent George Floyd's death if she were at the scene.

What's a brief history?

In a since-deleted tweet, Cher wrote, "Was talking With Mom & She Said 'I Watched Trial Of Policeman Who Killed George Floyd,& Cried.' I Said 'Mom, I Know This Is Gonna Sound CRAZY, But.. I Kept Thinking .....Maybe If I'd Been There,...I Could've Helped.'"

She received heavy backlash for the sentiment, and many social media users accused her of having a "white savior complex."

One user wrote, "@cher I say this with respect: White savior complex. Stop."

@cher I say this with respect:White savior complex. Stop.
— Goth Frida Kahlo (@Goth Frida Kahlo)1617442616.0

Another added, "You've done a lot of good in this world. We as white women just need to be careful that we don't make ourselves the star of the story. I'm sure you didn't intend that, but it can come across that way. Who knows? Maybe w/the proper power of celebrity, he would've taken his knee off."

@cher You’ve done a lot of good in this world. We as white women just need to be careful that we don’t make ourselv… https://t.co/hPL4cEK6Wg
— Cathy Coleman (@Cathy Coleman)1617476650.0

In a since-deleted tweet, another user wrote, "Um....Cher, I think you're great and all, but this ain't it. George Floyd's murder isn't about you. Don't make it about you. And don't inadvertently insult the traumatized witnesses who WERE there and did their damndest to save his life."

Following the criticism, she doubled down on her initial remarks and said, "Wrestled With This Twt, Because I Thought some ppl wouldn't understand, Or Believe an Entertainer Could have Honest emotions about a human Being,suffering & Dying,even if It's Only Shown On tv. You Don't Know What I've Done,Who I Am,Or What I Believe.I CAN,I HAVE,& I WILL..HELP"

Wrestled With This Twt, Because I Thought some ppl wouldn’t understand, Or Believe an Entertainer Could have Hones… https://t.co/y5qyMFGk3a
— Cher (@Cher)1617475248.0

What are the details?

Later on Saturday, Cher told her followers that she was sorry for the tweet and the hurt that it caused for some people.

"I Just got off phone With Friend Karen," she wrote. "Told her what Happened,& Realized,You Can Piss Ppl Off,& Hurt Them By Not Knowing Everything That's 'NOT Appropriate' To Say.I know Ppl Apologize When They're In a Jam,BUT [hand] TO GOD ,IM TRULY SORRY If I Upset AnyOne In Blk Community.I Know My [heart]."

I Just got off phone With Friend Karen.Told her what Happened,& Realized,You Can Piss Ppl Off,& Hurt Them By Not Kn… https://t.co/5RUuc5oAAN
— Cher (@Cher)1617481526.0