'I was just trying to make it home': Durham man charged for speeding through homecoming parade

WRAL News spoke with the man arrested and charged for speeding along a Durham parade route over the weekend along with his father.

Jerrie Brooks was arrested and charged with felony fleeing arrest with motor vehicle, reckless driving, carrying a concealed weapon, and assault with a deadly weapon. The incident took place during the Hillside homecoming parade and endangered a dance group.

Brooks told WRAL News, "I was just trying to make it home." He didn't want to say more.

Cellphone video showed lots of commotion as people hurried to get out of the way as the driver was speeding past people along Fayetteville Street. Police said Brooks drove his black Ford Mustang "at a high rate of speed through a heavy crowded street during a parade."

"He is a good young man," his father said. "[He] doesn't get in any trouble. I am proud to have him as my son."

His father said Brooks lost one of his jobs as a result of the charge. He previously was a student at Durham Technical Community College.

"I can't say anything because this is an open case, but this is an unfortunate situation," his father said.

His father said that the family is in contact with an attorney.

Mina Forte, president of the national alumni association of Hillside High School, told WRAL News that even in the face of danger posed by the car, people looked out for each other.

Williams said the incident made him think of Hailey Brooks, who died after a truck carrying a parade float hit her during the Raleigh Christmas Parade in 2022. He said he was afraid for a moment that Durham may have a similar tragedy.

Fortunately, there were no reports of any injuries at the homecoming parade.

"We thought someone was hit, but it was actually a backfire from the car," Williams said.

State representative Zack Hawkins said he plans on talking to his colleagues about how the state can make parades safer.

"How do we secure the perimeter?" Hawkins asked. "Should we have bookends on both ends of the street, especially where the driver came from? We are making sure we are getting ahead of dangerous situations."

Williams said he hopes the near-miss makes organizers and parade-goers more vigilant in the future.

“Hopefully, we’ve learned and are going to learn from this today and better secure the parade for NCCU’s homecoming, which is going to be even more people,” Williams said. That event, North Carolina Central University's Ultimate Homecoming Parade, is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023.

Forte said, "We had officers at every corner, from the beginning of the parade to the end. We secured more officers this year. We paid thousands of dollars."

“I just remember hearing someone scream, ‘move, move, move!’ said Durham City Councilman Leonardo Williams, who was walking along the parade's path. “We looked up, and it was a car coming toward us, at least 60 to 70 mph.”

Williams said the car barely missed him – and children from R.N. Harris Elementary School, who were marching in the parade.

Cassey Bailey, mother of a Southern High School ninth grader, said she was in "mom mode," filming her daughter, when she captured video of that car speeding by.

"Honestly, the car, the vehicle was inches away from hitting her so it really placed her life as well as her other dancers' lives and other band members, just everyone – the pedestrians, the public, everybody – in danger," Bailey said.

Her daughter Taliyah Rogers said she felt a rush of wind as the car passed. "It just, like, put me in shock for a moment. I didn't know what to do," she said.