Waukesha parade attack defendant Darrell Brooks sat stone-faced while multiple videos were played for a witness showing him driving over students in the Waukesha High School Band during the incident last year.
Sarah Wehmeier-Aparicio, the Waukesha South High School band director, testified she was walking with the school's marching band and noticed some sort of commotion behind her students. At first she thought an emergency vehicle was attempting to get through the parade but then noticed people and items were flying through the air. She then realized what was happening was something more serious. Wehmeier-Aparicio was nearly hit by the SUV Brooks is charged with driving in the attack.
"When the car went past me, my perception changed of what was happening completely because the driver was looking straight ahead, looked very attentive at that point so the driver clearly was aware that he had hit and run over all of these people," Wehmeier-Aparicio said.
Videos taken from different angles of when Brooks ran over the high school band were played for Wehmeier-Aparicio. When the videos were being played, both with and without audio, Brooks simply sat and did not react. When the audio was not muted, people can be heard screaming in the video.
Brooks' muted reaction has been new for him as previous days of his trial have been filled with him causing disruptions and wearing his orange prison uniform and a face mask. On Monday, Brooks wore a suit with a face mask. Before the proceedings began, he offered an apology for his courtroom behavior.
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"I just want to state this for the record that, I would like to issue the court an apology from me in regards to my actions last week during the trial. I just want the court to understand it's very emotional right now, not only for just the whole situation of the trial, the families here that have to go through, you know, everything that's going to be involved with the trial," Brooks said. "But also my family as well, myself, it's very, very emotional. But not to excuse my actions and I should carry myself with better respect. I wasn't raised that way. And I owe you, your honor, and the court an apology."
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