Man charged in deadly parade crash says jail isn’t safe

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A man accused of killing six people and injuring dozens more when he allegedly drove his SUV through a Christmas parade in Waukesha says he doesn’t feel safe in jail.

Darrell Brooks, who is Black, sent a letter to his mother saying that guards paid inmates to spit in his food. He also accused guards and inmates of using racial slurs against him and threatening him with violence, WITI-TV reported Wednesday. He quoted a guard as saying “I hope they give this stupid (racial slur) life in prison. They are going to kill him in prison.”

Brooks wrote that he needs to find a way out before something happens to him and guards “sweep it under the rug.”

A spokesman for the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department said Brooks filed a grievance with the jail over his treatment. The agency reviewed his complaints and is satisfied that he’s being treated appropriately, and jail staff will continue to monitor his care. WITI-TV did not identify the spokesman.

Brooks’ attorneys, Anna Kees and Jeremy Perri, didn’t immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment and a copy of the letter. The sheriff’s spokesman, Lt. Nicholas Ollinger, didn’t immediately respond to a voicemail seeking comment.

Prosecutors have charged Brooks with more than 70 counts, including six homicide counts, in connection with the Nov. 21 incident. He’s due back in court Monday for a motion hearing.