The suspect accused of mowing down a crowd at a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, was released from police custody on an "inappropriately low" bail just days before the rampage, a local district attorney said on Monday, November 22.
Darrell Brooks, 39, was charged with five counts of intentional homicide after he allegedly plowed through the crowd on Sunday, killing five and injuring at least 48.
On November 11, less than two weeks before the deadly incident at the Christmas parade, Brooks was released from police custody in connection with a previous November 2 incident on a very affordable $1,000 bail, Insider reports.
"The State's bail recommendation, in this case, was inappropriately low in light of the nature of the recent charges and the pending charges against Mr. Brooks," the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office said in a statement on Monday, according to the outlet.
The statement continued: "The bail recommendation, in this case, is not consistent with the approach of the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office toward matters involving violent crime, nor was it consistent with the risk assessment of the defendant prior to setting of bail."
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office also announced it has launched "an internal review of the decision to make the recent bail recommendation in this matter in order to determine the appropriate next steps."
Court documents obtained by Insider indicate that Brooks was arrested on November 2 on a number of charges including obstructing an officer, bail jumping, second-degree recklessly endangering safety with domestic abuse assessments, and misdemeanor battery after he was accused of attacking the mother of his child.
The mother in question told authorities that Brooks had punched her in the face and hit her with his SUV while she was walking in a gas station parking lot.
When police arrived at the scene, they saw the woman with a swollen lip and dried blood on her face. She was later taken to the hospital for the injuries she sustained.
Brooks also has another case against him in Milwaukee in relation to an incident that took place in July 2020, according to the district attorney's office.
Based on court records, he was handed a weapons charge and also charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety.
