A recent press choice to refer to a guy apparently plowing through a gathering of people in Waukesha as someone who had an “accident” has been challenged by many people.
The Incident was Obviously Intentional
As per the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office, Darrell Brooks was arrested last week with five charges of first-degree criminal murder.
This happened after him allegedly ramming his SUV through throngs of Christmas parade participants. Prosecutors announced further charges are now pending after a sixth juvenile victim was reported.
BREAKING: Prosecutor: 6th person, a child, has died in deadly Wisconsin parade crash.
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) November 23, 2021
Although most of the outrage stemmed from CBS’ coverage of the accusations, numerous other prominent media sites also used the term “crash” to describe the events on Sunday.
Again after Brooks was charged with deliberate murder, he continued to refer to the Waukesha tragedy as an “accident.” Brooks’ hearing was covered by NPR with the banner “Man charged in Waukesha parade crash makes the first appearance in court.”
“A sixth person has perished after the horrific Waukesha Christmas pageant crash, authorities say,” CNN reported on the charges.
“Accused in Deadly Waukesha Parade Accident Arrested With Deliberate Homicide,” HuffPo reported. “Child is 6th dead in Waukesha celebration crash, suspect arrested,” the Associated Press reported.
They Can’t Bring Themselves to Say It
Again after Brooks’ accusations were publicized, ABC News, Yahoo, and Time Magazine all continued to refer to the horrible tragedy as an “accident.”
Apparently @maggieNYT approves of the dishonest “crash” narrative: pic.twitter.com/fXUe6MG6Yw
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) November 23, 2021
“Prosecutor: 6th victim, a child, has died in fatal Wisconsin parade collision,” Politico White House Bureau Chief Jonathan Lemire tweeted, citing the Associated Press.
On her Twitter account, New York Times writer Maggie Haberman praised both Lemire’s and Begnaud’s posts.
Despite the fact police officers have thrown out the possibility of homegrown terrorism, authorities have yet to assign a motivation to Brooks’ conduct.
Brooks was initially reported to be fleeing a scene of the crime, but Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said there was no police pursuit at the moment.
Authorities also stated Brooks’ last jail discharge on a $1,000 bond earlier in the month (after a woman accused him of knocking her over with his automobile) is being investigated. Brooks was additionally discharged on $500 bail after allegedly shooting his relative in February.
Several people since have challenged the bail decision that resulted in Brooks being released from prison, despite an extensive criminal record.
“In light of the severity of the recent accusations and the ongoing charges against Mr. Brooks, the state’s bail request in this instance was unduly low,” stated District Attorney John Chisholm’s office in a release.
“In this case, the bail proposal is inconsistent with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office’s approach to situations involving serious crime.” Darrell Brooks’ money bail has now been set at $5 million, with a court hearing set for January 14.
