Trial Begins for Man Accused of Driving Into Wis. Christmas Parade

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    Image copyright: AP [via NPR]

    The Facts

    • On Monday, the trial began for Darrell Brooks, a 40-year-old man accused of driving an SUV through a crowd of people attending the annual Waukesha Christmas Parade in Wisconsin last November, killing six. Brooks faces 77 criminal charges and will represent himself.

    • Brooks was identified as the driver of the SUV after he allegedly drove around barricades and then sped into the crowd as he reportedly fled a domestic incident with his female partner.

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    The Spin

    Narrative A

    While nothing justifies his heinous crimes, Darrell Brooks suffered from mental illness for most of his life. He was treated as a child and then deemed "healed" as an adult resulting in a lack of proper medical care. Jail is not the answer in cases like these. Until the mental health system is fixed, these tragic incidents will continue to happen. His actions are a result of a system that failed him.

    CBS58

    Narrative B

    Law and order must prevail here. Four psychologists evaluated Darrell Brooks and determined that while he does have a personality disorder, he is intelligent and articulate enough to represent himself at trial. He has been competent enough to withdraw his plea and competency has never been raised in any of his previous cases.

    Fox6Now

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