INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Intercepted communications at the Marion County jail led to the arrest of a corrections officer who the sheriff believes sold drugs in the Adult Detention Center.

Bryce Byrdsong, 27, was in the Marion County jail as an inmate on Tuesday afternoon. He was arrested Tuesday morning on preliminary charges of trafficking with an inmate; possession of marijuana; possession of a controlled substance; and official misconduct. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will determine whether to file criminal charges.

A news release issued late Tuesday afternoon from a Marion County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said Byrdsong was fired from the job he’s had about a year without any disciplinary issues. He reported for work Tuesday morning and was found to be carrying narcotics. Additional narcotics were found in his vehicle.

Sheriff Kerry Forestal said in a statement in the release, “The public places immense trust in their public safety officials, and that trust is non-negotiable.”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis man will spend almost 30 years behind bars after committing a string of armed robberies at different Dollar Generals across the city.

Robert Williams, 57, received the hefty sentence after pleaded guilty to six cunts of interference with commerce by robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Prosecutors say between July 8 and Aug. 14, 2023, Williams robbed six Dollar Generals in Indianapolis, stealing a total of $1,799. Williams reportedly flashed a revolver or a handgun hiding in his waistband to intimidate employees during each crime.

The robbery dates and locations are listed below.

• July 8, 2023: 5450 Emerson Way
• July 30, 2023: 2131 Central Ave.
• Aug. 7, 2023: 2002 N. Arlington Ave.
• Aug. 11, 2023: 2131 Central Ave.
• Aug. 11, 2023: 5450 Emerson Way
• Aug. 14, 2023: 3938 N. Illinois St.

Williams is a “career criminal,” prosecutors saying his history “dating back nearly four decades.” His previous convictions include theft, narcotics possession, battery against a public safety official, and domestic battery.

Following his 29-year sentence, Williams will spend three years on supervised release.

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — Three juveniles were arrested early Tuesday morning in connection with hundreds of car break-ins across Indianapolis and Fishers, the Fishers Police Department said.

Police did not provide additional details about the arrested juveniles in a news release issued Tuesday afternoon.

Fishers police along with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force made the arrests. A news conference on the arrests has been set for late Wednesday morning at the Indianapolis police chief’s office in the City-County Building in downtown Indianapolis.

The suspects were found driving a stolen vehicle in a Fishers neighborhood.

Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart said in a statement in the news release, “Today, we stand united in our aggressive, collaborative efforts to stop criminals from victimizing our residents and wreaking havoc on our community.”

IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said in a statement in the release, “By working together, we are able to quickly remove offenders from our streets and better protect the safety and security of our communities.”

The investigation led to the recovery of stolen property, including firearms and vehicles, which had been taken from people in Fishers and Indianapolis.

Due to the involvement of stolen firearms and vehicles crossing jurisdictions, the FBI joined the investigation to ensure accountability at both state and federal levels, the release said.

This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university, was charged on Tuesday with aggravated murder.

The charge means Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted of killing Kirk last week at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.

“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said in announcing the charges. He said Robinson’s DNA was found on the trigger of the gun used to kill Kirk.

Kirk was gunned down on Sept. 10 as he spoke with students and died soon after. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby campus building.

A Utah Valley University police officer was watching the crowd from an “elevated position” and identified the roof of the Losee Center as a potential position for a shooter, Gray said. The officer found evidence on the roof immediately, he said, and spurred officers to direct their attention to surveillance video leading to the roof.

Robinson, 22, also was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. He was scheduled to appear on camera for a virtual court hearing Tuesday afternoon.

It was unclear whether Robinson had an attorney who could speak on his behalf, and his family has declined to comment to The Associated Press.

Robinson was arrested late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up.

Investigators have spoken to Robinson’s relatives and carried out a search warrant at his family’s home in Washington, Utah, about 240 miles (390 kilometers) southwest of where the shooting happened.

Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics. His shooting raised fears about increasing political violence in a deeply polarized United States.

While authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said over the weekend that those who know Robinson say his politics shifted left in recent years and he spent a lot of time in the “dark corners of the internet.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday on the Fox News Channel show “Fox & Friends” that DNA evidence has linked Robinson to a towel wrapped around a rifle found near the Utah Valley campus and a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where the fatal shot was fired.

Before the shooting, Robinson wrote in a note that he had an opportunity to take out Kirk and was going to do it, according to Patel.

The FBI also is looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson, Patel said Tuesday during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said.

“We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.

Investigators are working on finding a motive for the attack, Utah’s governor said Sunday, adding that more information may come out once Robinson appears for his initial court hearing.

Cox said Robinson’s romantic partner was transgender, which some politicians have pointed to as a sign the suspect was targeting Kirk for his anti-transgender views. But authorities have not said whether that played a role. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.

Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said Monday that Robinson’s partner has been cooperative. He said investigators believe Robinson acted alone during the shooting, but they also are looking at whether anyone knew of his plans beforehand.

In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.

Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other consequences at work.

Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A Merrillville woman faces battery charges after police say she stabbed a hair stylist twice after learning her daughter’s hair appointment had been canceled.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Merrillville Police Department officers just before 5 p.m. Thursday responded to a battery incident at a hair salon in the 5400 block of Broadway.

There, they spoke with three stylists, one of which said she had been stabbed by a client, 36-year-old Takary Sims, during an argument over a canceled appointment and $20 deposit.

Stylist canceled after Sims ran late

In conversations with detectives, the victim said Sims had reached out to her over Facebook to schedule an appointment to get her daughter’s hair braided. She said she had never met Sims before the booking.

On the day of the appointment, Sims reached out through text asking for the address to the salon, and the stylist said she instructed Sims to look at the booking email. Sims reportedly replied with a threat, telling the stylist “(expletive) don’t play with me.”

The victim says Sims was late to the appointment, prompting her to cancel. After messaging about the cancellation, the victim said Sims responded with additional threats.

Then, Sims showed up at the salon with her daughter in tow. A verbal argument broke out between Sims and stylist, which then turned into a fight. Other employees quickly intervened.

At some point, Sims reached into her purse and pulled out a knife, stabbing the stylist in the left forearm twice.

Sims and her daughter then fled the scene. Another stylist later mentioned to police she feared Sims had a gun, and called out for her to stop when she reached into her bag.

The victim later told detectives Sims threatened to come back and shoot up the salon.

Sims claims stabbing was in self-defense

Almost twenty minutes after the hair salon stabbing, Sims actually called 911, reporting that she “stabbed a girl up” in self-defense after the stylist “ran up on her” and started punching her in the back of the head.

Police say when speaking with investigators, Sims confirmed that she scheduled an appointment with the stylist who get her daughter’s hair braided. When she reached out trying to get more information, Sims says her attempts garnered “negative results.”

Sims added that she had already paid a $20 deposit for the appointment, but couldn’t get the stylist to confirm where her salon was.

She eventually found the shop online, but when she and her daughter arrived, she learned the stylist actually worked at a different location a few blocks away. Only then did the hair stylist text Sims the address, advising Sims that she was late.

Sims told police she became angry knowing she was going to lose her deposit, so she went to the second location to try and get her money back. After learning the deposit was nonrefundable, the women began to fight.

Sims claimed as she was walking away, it was the hair stylist who threw the first punch. Not wanting to fight in front of her daughter, Sims told detectives she pulled a knife from her bag to defend her and her daughter. After stabbing the stylist, she says she “picked up her child and left the scene.”

When asked about the other threats, the affidavit says Sims did threaten to shoot her, but she doesn’t own a firearm. “She was just angry,” Sims said.

Brawl caught on CCTV cameras

During the investigation, detectives reviewed the salon’s CCTV footage, which caught Sims and her daughter entering the salon. Sims and stylist’s argument can be heard, but not seen.

Eventually, Sims exits the stylist’s private booth and enters the hallway, dragging her daughter behind. The cameras hear Sims threaten to hurt the stylist.

The stylist follows behind Sims, saying, “Do it right now, (expletive).”

Sims turns, and the women are seen hitting each other in the face. Another stylist appears, pulling Sims’ daughter out of the way of danger and trying to intervene. The second stylist then restrains the first to stop her, and Sims is seen reaching into her bag for her knife.

The second stylist is heard yelling, “No, no, no!” Sims then slashes at the stylist, striking her twice.

When she stops swinging the knife, she gathers the things that fell out of her bag, then calmly tells her daughter, “Come on, baby.” The pair then walk out of the salon.

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It was unclear if Sims sustained any injuries; police wrote in the affidavit that the hair stylist received stitches for the two cuts on her arm.

Sims was booked into the Lake County jail Thursday evening and released Saturday after posting bond.

Court records show she faces charges of battery by means of a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, and two counts of intimidation.

She’s due in court for a hearing Sept. 24.