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Waukesha tragedy: Suspect Darrell Brooks may have been fleeing knife fight scene

Investigators are looking into the possibility that the driver had been fleeing an earlier incident involving a knife fight

WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN: Darrell Brooks, the alleged 'person of interest' who was taken into custody after his red SUV sped into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, may have been fleeing a knife fight, on Sunday, November 21, authorities have revealed. The incident killed five and injured more than 40.  

At a news conference Sunday night, on November 21, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said the SUV had been taken into the custody of the authorities, and a "person of interest" was in custody. No suspect has yet been named in the case and the man taken into custody was not identified by the authorities. There was also no information about a possible motive behind the incident. However, Thompson did add that there is no further threat to the community. However, NBC has identified Brooks, 39, as the person who was taken into custody Sunday night, according to five law enforcement officials.

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Brooks may have been fleeing from knife fight

According to multiple law enforcement sources familiar with preliminary investigation findings, there seem to be indications that the alleged Waukesha suspect was fleeing another incident when he drove into the parade route. Investigators are looking into the possibility that the driver had been fleeing an earlier incident involving a knife fight.

It was also reported that the crash had nothing to do with international or domestic terrorism. Despite pervasive rumors, the Waukesha incident also does not appear to be connected to the recent verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin, sources said.

Brooks has significant criminal history

Brooks has a long criminal record and history of being convicted for various felony charges. Twitter sleuths have unearthed an alleged old video of the 39-year-old, where he apparently admits to being a child sex trafficker. In fact, reports suggest that Brooks is registered in Nevada as a sex offender, though the exact nature of his crime is not certain. 

Brooks has been convicted on a number of criminal charges since 1999 including drug possession, obstructing an officer, and battery. He also has several open felony charges filed against him  as of November 5, 2021. He was charged in Milwaukee courts for resisting an officer (misdemeanor), felony bail jumping, second-degree recklessly endangering safety (felony) with domestic abuse assessments, disorderly conduct, and battery (both misdemeanors, also with domestic abuse assessments.) On November 19, he had posted a bail of $1000 in cash. 

Did police, media avoid mentioning Brooks' race?

Brooks' criminal past gave some social media users the chance to hit back at those suggesting it was payback for the Rittenhouse verdict. One user wrote, "P.S. police telling reporters the suspect was fleeing another crime and then committed this horrible act. He is scum and a low life. But race war prolly wasn't his purpose. P.S. downtown Waukesha is 30-40% Hispanic at least, so your narrative is struggling." However, many pointed out how the media and the police had avoided discussing the alleged suspect's race. One user noted, "You can tell what race the Waukesha massacre guy is by the fact that no one is mentioning his race." Another commentator added, "Hmm, no mention of the race of the suspect or his #BLM beliefs. I wonder why. #FakeNewsMedia #Waukesha." One more noted, "Just watched the CBS MORNING report on Waukesha Not one word about the race of the driver or his social media posts They did question the fact that the police shot at him with crowds present So much for unbiased reporting."

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