News and Analysis

No Record Exists Of Court Hearing Where Alleged Christmas Parade Attacker Was Freed On Bail: Report

   DailyWire.com
Chief of Police Dan Thompson speaks at a press conference at Waukesha City Hall in Waukesha, Wisconsin on November 22, 2021, the day after a vehicle drove through a Christmas parade the night before killing five people. - US authorities identified the driver suspected of plowing into a Christmas parade in the Midwestern city of Waukesha, killing at least five and wounding dozens, as media reported he was fleeing a knife fight. The Sunday evening chaos in Wisconsin, which saw a red SUV speed into a crowd of men, women and children raised immediate fears of a deliberate act -- in a state where tensions have spiked following a high-profile acquittal in a racially-charged trial.
MUSTAFA HUSSAIN / AFP via Getty Images

The suspect who allegedly ran over dozens of people, killing at least six, last month at a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, was released on $1,000 bail just days before the attack in what officials have described as an “inappropriately low” bail amount.

Now, according to local media, records from the court hearing where the suspect was freed no longer exist.

Fox 6 Milwaukee reported:

Supreme Court rules say every court hearing should be recorded word-for-word by a certified court reporter or a digital audio recording device, but when the FOX6 Investigators asked for a recording of [the suspect’s] Nov. 5 bail hearing, a court administrator told us, “There are no recordings” due to “technical issues.”

“It’s crucial, and now, there’s no record of it,” said Jackie Rupnow, Wisconsin Court Reporters Association. “There are instances where it happens.”

She added, “Unfortunately, it was just a matter of time before something like this was going to happen.”

“Well, it’s very frustrating,” said State Rep. Scott Allen (R-Waukesha). “It’s sort of unbelievable in many respects. There ought to be some built-in redundancies when it comes to protecting the public.”

The Daily Wire reported:

The suspected driver of a red Ford Escape killed at least six people after he allegedly intentionally plowed through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on November 21. The suspect is facing six counts of first-degree intentional homicide after the most recent charge was filed on Monday.

Prosecutors charged the suspect, who The Daily Wire has decided not to name, with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide on November 23. That same day, 8-year-old Jackson Sparks died from injuries sustained during the attack. The attack left dozens of others injured, many critically. …

The suspected Waukesha driver is a 39-year-old black male who was released from jail on bail days before the attack. The driver had been arrested weeks prior after allegedly running over a woman with whom he had a child. Counting the charges filed in connection with the parade attack, the alleged driver is now facing three separate criminal cases involving felony acts of violence. Since 1999, he has been convicted of battery and consensual sex with a minor and faced a series of other charges including battery, drug charges, and resisting law enforcement.

Heavy.com, a fact-finding website, along with various journalists online, highlighted posts that the suspect had on social media accounts allegedly belonging to him. Those posts appeared to express anti-Christian sentiment, disdain for Republican politicians and conservative media, and “black nationalist rhetoric.”

Related:

Got a tip worth investigating?

Your information could be the missing piece to an important story. Submit your tip today and make a difference.

Submit Tip
Download Daily Wire Plus

Don't miss anything

Download our App

Stay up-to-date on the latest
news, podcasts, and more.

Download on the app storeGet it on Google Play
The Daily Wire   >  Read   >  No Record Exists Of Court Hearing Where Alleged Christmas Parade Attacker Was Freed On Bail: Report