Authorities say the Waukesha parade crash suspect appeared to be emotionless as officers tried to stop him
An officer, identified in the complaint as Detective Casey, first heard a car horn near his location along the parade route. When Casey went to investigate, he saw a red Ford Escape SUV driving past marchers and “observed people jumping off the road,” according to the complaint.
The lawsuit says the SUV was traveling at a slow speed at the time, and Casey slammed the hood of the car while shouting “Stop” multiple times. The SUV sped past Casey and continued further toward the procession.
Casey chased the vehicle on foot as it began to speed, the complainant said, and radioed for assistance. Seconds later, other reports came through the police station that people had been hit by the car.
Another officer, identified as Officer Butryn, also tried to get ahead of the SUV, shouting at the driver “Stop, stop,” according to the complaint. Officials estimate the vehicle was traveling at about 25 miles per hour at the time.
“Butryn Police observed the driver looking straight ahead, directly at him, and appeared to have no emotion on his face,” the complaint said.
The lawsuit says the SUV overtook Butryn, at which point he saw the vehicle speed until it came to an intersection where it appeared to stop.
“The vehicle then appeared to accelerate rapidly, when Officer Butryn heard the tire squeal,” the complaint reads. “At this point, it is clear to Butryn police that this was a deliberate act to attack and injure as many people as possible.”
Butryn saw the vehicle move in a zig-zag pattern, the lawsuit said, and saw “bodies and objects” in flight.
“It was like the SUV was trying to avoid the vehicles, not the people. The vehicle made no attempt to stop, slowing down more,” a witness told an officer, according to the complaint.
After witnessing the SUV run over, another officer identified in the complaint as Officer Scholten shot and hit the vehicle three times as it sped away. Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said Sunday authorities do not believe any shots were fired from the vehicle.
Brooks seeks help from a stranger
Daniel Rider, 24, told CNN he had no idea what happened Sunday when he heard his doorbell ring.
One man – identified by authorities as Brooks – asked Rider for help, saying he was homeless and needed to borrow a phone to call an Uber. Rider said Brooks wasn’t wearing shoes and was just wearing a t-shirt on a cold day, so he said he trusted him and allowed him into the house.
“He was quite confused,” Rider said of Brooks, but described him as polite during their meeting. Rider made Brooks a sandwich and lent him his coat while he used his phone.
After a few minutes, Rider notices the police walking up and down the street and has a feeling it has something to do with Brooks, so Rider asks him to step outside. When Brooks spoke on the phone, the two were outside when Rider said that a nearby neighbor had flagged his situation. Rider then went to Brooks and asked for his phone and coat back, he said, and Brooks complied. Rider entered the house and locked the door.
Soon after, Brooks started “banging on the door,” said Rider, claiming that he had left his identification inside. Rider refuses and tells him he will find it. Moments later, the police arrived and arrested Brooks.
Rider said Brooks called his mother to get an Uber to pick him up. Rider said: “Uber showed up maybe a minute after he was taken into custody. “So I just think about how sometimes if he gets in that car, what could happen?”
Brooks’ bail was set at $5 million after he first appeared in court on Tuesday, citing the judge citing a potential flight risk.
6 people died from the wound
“This afternoon, our dear Jackson sadly succumbed to his injuries and passed away,” an updated post on the site said on Tuesday.
Two of the 16 children hospitalized at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin were able to go home Monday, the hospital said in a statement. A total of 13 children are still hospitalized, of which six are in critical condition, three are in good condition and four are in good condition, the statement said.
One of the injured, the son of a firefighter, had just been released from the Wisconsin Children’s Hospital Intensive Care Unit, the boy’s father Don Tiegs said.
Erick Tiegs was marching with the Waukesha South High School Marching Band when he was hit by an SUV, according to a news release from the Caledonian Firefighters Association.
“He has undergone surgery to repair a broken femur. He is still being treated for other injuries, including the placement of a chest drain, and is continuing to be evaluated for any other injuries. no further complications. Unfortunately, he has a long way to go to recovery ahead of him,” reads the release.
CNN’s Amir Vera, Holly Yan, Raja Razek, Joe Sutton, Jennifer Henderson, Claudia Dominguez and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.