BOONE COUNTY, Ind. – The hearing lasted about 15 minutes Friday as prosecutors formally filed their request for the death penalty against the man charged with killing Boone County Deputy Jacob Pickett in March.

Anthony Baumgardt remained silent while being walked into court under heavy security before the hearing. Prosecutors said their justification for seeking the death penalty was that Baumgardt is accused of killing an officer in the line of duty. There were also other factors under consideration, including Baumgardt's character.

Baumgardt's attorney said he expected his client to face the death penalty and acknowledged that some of Baumgardt's prior comments could harm him during the trial. Prior to his initial hearing last month, Baumgardt said he had “no remorse” for the shooting and also asked the court if he could “seek out the death penalty” on his own if he decided to plead guilty.

Prosecutors announced earlier this week that they planned to seek the death penalty against Baumgardt, who’s charged with murder in Pickett's death. Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer said Pickett’s family fully supported the decision to pursue the death sentence.

Deputy Jacob Pickett

On March 2, police spotted Baumgardt in a car with two other men: John Baldwin Sr. and John Baldwin Jr. Baldwin Jr., the driver, was wanted on a warrant. So was Baumgardt. After a vehicle pursuit, police said Baumgardt and Baldwin Sr. got out of the car and tried to get away.

Pickett, who was assisting in the pursuit, chased after Baumgardt with his K9 partner, Brik. Baumgardt opened fire, fatally wounding the deputy. He told investigators he fired his gun because he “didn’t want to get bit by a dog.”

Baumgardt's trial is scheduled for July, but attorneys for the defense and prosecution agreed that it will likely be pushed back due to the death penalty nature of the case.

MUNCIE, Ind. – A Delaware County jail officer has been charged with a felony and officially terminated following a viral video of him attempting to arrested a man who he thought broke into his daughter’s home.

Jerry Shaner was charged with pointing a firearm on Friday, a level 6 felony.

The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office also announced that Shaner has been terminated from his employment as a correction officer.

The video below shows Shaner pointing a weapon at the man and threatening him repeatedly as he’s down on the ground. It’s unclear in the video whether Shaner is pointing a firearm or stun gun.

“Keep your [expletive] head down,” Shaner is heard saying on the video. “You move, and your brains are going to be all over the [expletive] pavement, you understand me?”

He was initially placed on leave during an internal investigation.

After the incident went viral, we spoke the family of the man who was detained by Shaner.

If you abuse your power, you should lose your power. It’s that simple," said Watson's brother, Schaivon Nevings.

Watson's family filed a formal complaint with the Muncie Human Rights Commission.

Sheriff Dudley, along with local pastor Dr. Andrew Draper, have taken the initiative to begin forming a Civilian Review Board comprised of community leaders to oversee the conduct of the sheriff’s office.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.– Crime Stoppers of Michigan says two suspects wanted for the kidnapping, torture and murder of a woman may have fled to the Indianapolis area.

Symone Monique Runels and Shavelle Monique Runels are suspects in the murder of Angela Neilson.

On Jan. 29, Neilson was forced into the trunk of a car and driven to the area of 101 Forman Street in Detroit. The vehicle was set on fire, and the blaze killed her.

The suspects are sisters and authorities say they may be in Indianapolis, where they have relatives.

Crime Stoppers of Michigan is offering a cash reward of up to $2,000 for information that leads to the suspects’ arrests.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-SPEAK-UP or submit a tip online here. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Flyer courtesy of Crime Stoppers of Michigan.

MUNCIE, Ind. – The hunt is on for a Muncie man accused of battery on his wife and at least one of her three children. Muncie police say Anthony Whigum beat up his own wife and even went so far as to lock her children in a mice-infested basement overnight.

Muncie police say the abuse happened inside a home on N. Hackley St.

“We want to get him off the street,” said Muncie Police Detective Kyle Monroe, “obviously the children are safe now, the wife is safe now.”

According to court documents, Whigum beat his wife’s seven-year-old son using an electrical cord because he “wasn’t doing his exercises.”

“The seven-year-old seemed to be the one that really suffered,” said Monroe, “the five and four-year-old to a lesser extent.”

Court documents also say that child was eventually locked in a basement overnight by Whigum with no access to a bathroom  and vermin running around.

“Sleeping in a basement, on the floor with rats and mice,” said Monroe, “I wouldn’t even put my cat down there.”

Police say they were called by Whigum’s wife Friday morning, after she was able to escape the home with her three kids while Whigum went to go sell his plasma. According to police, the wife also told investigators Whigum would choke her. She also said he carried around a taser, which he would hold in front of her children’s faces to threaten them.

“They came up here, they were hungry, they hadn’t ate in…he [the child] couldn’t tell me the last time they ate,” said Monroe.

Court records document severe injuries on at least one of those kids, who was covered in welts which had scabbed over, along with bruising. Police are hoping someone knows where Whigum is and turns him in.

If you know where Anthony Whigum is, you’re asked to call Muncie police or Crime Stoppers at 317-262-8477.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The family of Jessie Whitehouse, a 30-year-old woman murdered on the near north side, says a suspect has been arrested in connection with the crime.

Family members tell CBS4 that a man named Lawon Browning has been charged with Whitehouse’s murder.

A 25-year-old man with that name was booked into the Marion County Jail on a murder charge on Saturday, according to jail records. CBS4 has reached out to authorities to confirm that Browning is indeed the suspect.

Whitehouse was found shot to death inside her home in the 4300 block of Norwaldo Ave. in Nov. 2016. Since her death, local law enforcement has been working with the FBI in the search for her killer.

Whitehouse’s step-father, Virgil Vandagriff, a retired Marion County Sheriff’s Office homicide detective and private investigator, has also been working the case on his own.

The family had also been offering a $10,000 reward for anyone that had information leading to the arrest of whoever murdered her.

WHITLEY COUNTY, Ind. – A former school resource officer has been arrested after police say he failed to report a rape.

According to Indiana State Police, the investigation began in February regarding the conduct of Matthew Gilbert, an officer with the South Whitley Police Department. He served as a school resource officer at Whitko High School.

ISP investigators said they received a complaint that Gilbert, 34, received information about a rape allegation from a 16-year-old girl who said she’d been sexually assaulted.

The teen told Gilbert about the allegation at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, but police said Gilbert didn’t conduct an initial investigation or follow up on the allegation.

The Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the case and charged Gilbert with failure to report a rape or sexual assault, a misdemeanor.

He was arrested Friday and bonded out of the Whitley County Jail. Gilbert was scheduled to appear in court Monday afternoon.

GREENWOOD, Ind. – A Martinsville officer was arrested after an incident at a Greenwood bar early Saturday morning.

Greenwood police arrested Brandt Summit for public intoxication and resisting law enforcement.

Summit was transported to the Johnson County jail where he was later released on bond.

According to a police report, Summit was at the Barn at Bay Horse Inn for a concert. His friend told police that Summit became very intoxicated. They got into an argument, and Summit started walking towards the wooded area.

A witness called police around 1:20 a.m. after witnessing the argument.

When police arrived, they tried to speak with Summit, but instead, he walked further into the woods.

A K9 officer was called to help search for him; he was later found lying on his back under a bush at the entrance to the Barn at Bay Horse Inn. He was taken into custody.

While conducting a search of him, a Greenwood officer located three pocket knives, three handcuff keys, two firearms holsters, a Martinsville Police Department badge and ID card, and a Glock magazine. Under the bush they found a fully loaded Glock 27 firearm, with one round in the chamber.

Police say he could not maintain his balance on his own, and he blew 0.238 on a PBT.

He was placed on paid administrative leave before being terminated. He can still go through an appeals process.

“We will look into this like we look into any incident,” said Martinsville Chief of Police Matt Long. “We’re cooperating with the other agencies and can appreciate them doing their job.

“We don’t tolerate that type of behavior. Wearing a badge doesn’t give someone the right to just go out and do anything.”

Summit was brought on as a reserve in 2015, and he has worked full time for the department since 2016.

ROANOKE, VA –Virginia State Police have canceled an Amber Alert that was issued for two children that were believed to have been kidnapped in Roanoke. Officers said the kids were located safely.

Police originally said the 5-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy may have been headed to Indiana. They were last seen at their grandmother’s house Sunday night, but they were missing from the home Monday morning.

The girl was said have long braided black hair, brown eyes, is 3’5″ tall and weighs about 45 pounds. The boy was described as having short curly black hair, brown eyes and weighing 40 pounds.

They were believed to be with Camille Marie Crumbly and her girlfriend, Tineshia Monae Mack. Crumbly has piercings on her right cheek, and she has short black hair. But police said it was possible she was wearing a pink wig.

Police believed they were headed to Indiana in a white 2018 GMC U-Haul rental pickup with Arizona tags AH96145. You can find more information here.

Crumbly was taken into custody when the children were located, according to police.

Editor’s note: The names and photos of the children in this story have been removed to help protect their identities. 

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Formal charges have been filed against the suspect in the 2016 murder of Jessie Whitehouse.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry announced Monday that 24-year-old Lawon Browning has been charged with murder, robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, and carrying a handgun without a license.

According to a probable cause affidavit, detectives used DNA, cell phone evidence and witness accounts to identify Browning as the sole suspect in the case.

Whitehouse was found shot to death in her home in the 4300 block of Norwaldo Ave. The 30-year-old’s vehicle was missing from her driveway and later discovered several blocks away.

Jessie Whitehouse

On the evening of the murder, the prosecutor’s office says a witness contacted police and reported observing a man matching the description of Browning exit Whitehouse’s missing vehicle. The man was reportedly seen walking in the direction of a nearby apartment complex where Browning is believed to have lived at the time of the murder.

Authorities say credit cards and other personal belongings of Whitehouse were also located in the same are by the witness.

A search warrant of the victim’s cell phone records revealed Whitehouse dialed a cell phone number associated with Browning in the morning hours prior to the alleged murder, according to the prosecutor’s office. Based on analysis of Whitehouse and Browning’s cell phones, investigators believe both phones were in the vicinity of the victim’s residence on the morning of the murder.

The affidavit says DNA found in Whitehouse’s fingernails matched the DNA profile of Browning.

Browning’s initial hearing is set for May 1.

BUNKER HILL, Ind. – A former Bunker Hill town marshal, Randal Aaron Dague, was arrested Monday.

The town council fired Dague last December for “conduct unbecoming of an officer.”

Indiana State Police say the 30-year-old is now facing four felony counts of official misconduct, obstruction of justice, forgery, and aiding/inducing the impersonation of a public servant. He’s also being charged with aiding/inducing the unlawful use of a police radio.

Police say they began investigating after receiving information that Dague had allegedly provided false police credentials for an acquaintance. He was also accused of providing the person with a Bunker Hill police badge.

The acquaintance purportedly provided the false credentials when hired as a security guard for an Indianapolis security firm, according to police. As an alleged sworn police officer, police say the acquaintance’s salary was more, per hour, than a non-police officer would have been paid.

Dague is also accused of providing an email, from his office, requesting his acquaintance be allowed to monitor and broadcast on local Indianapolis police radio frequencies when working security.

Police say Dague did not have the authority to hire his acquaintance as a police officer. The acquaintance was not a sworn Bunker Hill deputy marshal.

ROCHESTER, Ind. – A driver who’d been drinking was going nearly twice the speed limit with her child inside the car when a state trooper pulled her over Monday, police say.

According to Indiana State Police, a state trooper initiated a traffic stop on U.S. 31 near Fulton County Road around 2 p.m. Monday. The trooper pulled over a 2017 Dodge Challenger that was going 116 mph in a 60 mph zone.

The trooper noticed a 1-year-old child was improperly restrained in a child safety seat and saw an open alcoholic beverage in the car.

Police said the driver, identified as 36-year-old Rachel Harding of Indianapolis, had a blood alcohol concentration above .08 percent, which is the legal limit to drive in Indiana.

She was arrested on multiple charges, including operating a vehicle while intoxicated, criminal recklessness with a vehicle and neglect of a dependent.

She was taken to the Fulton County Jail. The child was released into the care of the Fulton County Division of the Indiana Department of Child Services, police said.

GREENFIELD, Ind. — Police arrested a Greenfield grandmother accused of leaving her two young grandchildren by themselves while she went to work.

According to court documents, 41-year-old Jennifer Holmes faces two counts of neglect of a dependent. The charges stem from an April 18 incident in which her 2- and 3-year-old grandchildren were left alone for nearly an hour.

The investigation began when a Department of Child Services caseworker called police around 9 a.m. after receiving a tip that the two children were home alone at a residence in the 200 block of Grove Street in Greenfield.

The caseworker found a 2-year-old child alone in a bedroom while the 3-year-old was standing near the front door and it “appeared that she was attempted to go outside by herself,” court documents said. There were no adults inside.

Police contacted the children’s father, who told them he’d asked Holmes to watch the kids early in the morning, and that she’d agreed to do so. He also said she told him she’d take them to work with her.

When police contacted Holmes, she told them she didn’t know the kids were at home or that she was supposed to be watching them. She said she’d left for work around 8:20 a.m.

The children’s father told police he had no idea that Holmes left without taking the children with her. He said he only found out when he sent her a message on Facebook to check on the children and confirm that they were with her.

“No! You better get your a** up and find your kids!!!! I’m at work!” Holmes replied in a Facebook message, according to court documents.

When questioned by police, Holmes said the children’s father had woken her up early in the morning but only asked to borrow her car.

“During the course of our conversation with Holmes she seemed to show emotion when told that she could possibly be charged with neglect of a dependent,” police wrote in the probable cause affidavit. “But [she] did not show emotion when told that her two grandchildren were taken into custody by DCS.”

Police also noted that when they asked to see Facebook messages between Holmes and the children’s father, she told them she’d “already deleted them.”

Holmes was arrested last week and taken to the Hancock County Jail. She was released on a $1,500 bond.

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. – Police in Zionsville arrested a man facing deportation after investigators say he threatened to stab a woman last month.

Gregory E. Mitchell, 29, Zionsville, had been drinking heavily and became upset with the woman because she’d taken her son to get a haircut, according to court documents.

The incident happened on April 19. Witnesses called police to report a man was threatening a woman with a knife. Dispatchers received two 911 calls about the incident, according to court documents.

When officers arrived around 10 p.m., they discovered Mitchell had been arguing with the woman for much of the day. He’d been drinking and had finished a bottle of rum before police arrived, according to court documents.

Police said Mitchell “began to ramble on incoherently about a verbal fight earlier in the afternoon” regarding a haircut. His speech “began to get worse and his sentences seemed to make less sense” during the court of the conversation, according to court documents. He said he didn’t remember threatening the woman but did recall calling the car-sharing service Lyft to get a ride because “he needed to get away.”

A witness said Mitchell threatened the woman and repeatedly said he would stab her. He eventually approached her with a 10-inch knife, causing her to scream. A witness heard the commotion and looked through a front window where she saw Mitchell standing in front of the woman with a knife.

Mitchell has a protective order involving the woman and her oldest son that stems from a domestic battery case in 2015, police said. The woman told investigators that Mitchell was on a list to be deported back to Africa.

The woman wouldn’t fill out a voluntary statement form, telling police that her youngest child would “never forgive her” if it led to Mitchell’s deportation. He faces charges of intimidation and invasion of privacy, according to the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) put an immigration detainer on Mitchell. He cannot bond out of jail without being picked up by ICE.

KOKOMO, Ind. – Law enforcement authorities swarmed several neighborhoods in Kokomo this morning, including the areas of Wyndsor Drive and South Courtland.

Police cars lined the streets along with armored SWAT vehicles, and a state police helicopter circled over the area.

Kokomo residents say in addition to local police, they saw federal agents, including the DEA.

According to authorities, the raids are drug-related. There will be a press conference on Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. regarding the raids. We will update this story when we receive more information.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A missing man’s body was found inside a near southeast side home.

The Marion County Coroner’s Office said Tuesday that 35-year-old Anthony Cline died from a gunshot wound. His death was ruled a homicide.

Cline’s family reported him missing last week. The 35-year-old was last seen leaving the Lowe’s on South Madison Avenue around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24. Police found his vehicle the next day in the 3100 block of East Raymond Street.

Dwight Shotts

Officers were called to Tabor Street Monday afternoon, where they found a body inside a home. Indianapolis Metropolitan police have arrested 42-year-old Dwight Shotts on a preliminary murder charge in the case.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A man has been arrested in connection with a body found in a near southeast side home Monday.

Indianapolis Metropolitan police say 42-year-old Dwight Shotts is facing a murder charge.

Officers were called to the scene in the 3100 block of Tabor Street, near South Sherman Drive and East Raymond Street, around 3 p.m.

The Marion County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as 35-year-old Anthony Cline, who’d been reported missing last week.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – It’s been nearly two years since 22-year-old Tyler Oneal Wright was fatally shot in a northwest side home and police say they’re still looking for the suspect.

IMPD announced Tuesday that it’s asking the public to help locate 22-year-old Keion Robinson.

Officers began investigating this case on May 3, 2016, when they were called to a home in the 5900 block of Cedar Lake Dr. around noon. There, police say they found the front door wide open and Wright on the floor of the living room. He was pronounced dead on scene. IMPD says a blue car, possibly involved in the incident, was located in the 5200 block of Lakeside Manor Dr. a short time later.

Two days after, a warrant for murder and carrying a handgun without a license was issued for the arrest of Robinson.

Police say Robinson was last seen in the area of 40th and Boulevard two months ago. He could be in Indianapolis, Macon, Georgia, or somewhere in between, according to IMPD.

Anyone with information about this incident should call Det. Flack at 317-327-3742 or the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477 or (TIPS).

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- A man was shot during what police called a gun battle overnight.

It happened early Wednesday morning near 33rd and Central on the near north side of Indianapolis. Police are now looking for a person of interest.

According to Indianapolis Metropolitan police, dispatchers received a call about shots fired around 2 a.m. About 20 minutes later, they said more shots were fired. Officers arrived to find a 21-year-old man shot twice. He was taken to the hospital for surgery. Police said his condition has improved and he's expected to survive.

IMPD said the second round of shots reported overnight may have been an exchange of gunfire between the man who was shot and a person they're calling a person of interest.

That person of interest took off running east on 33rd Street, police said, and officers went door-to-door to seek out witnesses. Central was closed between 23rd and 33rd while the investigation continues.

KOKOMO, Ind. – Local, state and federal authorities conducted a large raid in Kokomo Tuesday as they worked to dismantle a large drug trafficking ring.

“Operation Law and Order” resulted in federal charges against 15 people. Investigators said the suspects brought large amounts of drugs into the Kokomo area for distribution to other locations around Indiana.

On Tuesday morning, about 130 agents, troopers, deputies and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies served warrants at 13 locations in Kokomo and the Macon, Georgia, area. They seized more than 17 pounds of methamphetamine, two pounds of cocaine, two ounces of heroin, 122 grams of fentanyl and six ounces of marijuana.

In addition, officers seized 12 vehicles, $37,000 in cash, 24 guns and two money counters. U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler said not a single shot was fired during the operation.

The following individuals face federal charges:

• Pierre Riley, 50, Macon, GA
• Reggie Balentine, 41, a/k/a Pudge, Kokomo, IN
• Diondre Jones, 34, Kokomo, IN
• Michael O’Bannon, 33, a/k/a Lunchy, Kokomo, IN
• Kristin Kinney, 35, a/k/a Cupcake, Kokomo, IN
• Michael Jones, 35, a/k/a MJ, Kokomo, IN
• Jason Reed, 49, a/k/a Jamon, a/k/a Jasil, Kokomo, IN
• Derrick Owens, 37, Terre Haute, IN
• Deshoun Everhart, 39, Warsaw, IN
• Perry Jones, 43, Kokomo, IN
• Melissa Baird, 38, Kokomo, IN
• Shuan Myers, 35, Kokomo, IN
• Antwon Abbott, 38, Kokomo, IN
• Patricia Acord, 58, Kokomo, IN
• Bradley Clark, 49, Kokomo, IN

Authorities described Reggie Balentine as the leader of the group with Pierre Riley serving as his primary source from Georgia to bring drugs into Kokomo.

Minkler said drug violence and gun violence go hand in hand.

“They are armed to the teeth to protect their drugs and their drug money,” he said during a news conference Wednesday.

He called their profits “blood money” and said the alleged drug dealers charged in the case exploited drug addicts and contributed to the state’s growing drug problem. He called the ring a “massive” drug operation and said the investigation lasted about four months.

“We used massive federal resources. No expense was spared to target these individuals, and the response was consequential,” Minkler said.

He believes Kokomo is a safer place after the raids. The suspects face decades in prison if convicted.

“We are not going to stand by on the sidelines and let these problems get out of control,” he said. “We are going to respond in a consequential way.”

The case involved several agencies: Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, Unites States Postal Inspection Service, United States Marshal Service, Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department, Vigo County Drug Task Force, Indiana State Police, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Miami County Prosecutor’s Office, Terre Haute Police Department, Warsaw Police Department, Indiana National Guard Counter Drug, Howard County Sheriff’s Department, Howard County Prosecutor’s Office and the Kokomo Police Department.

JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind. – Daniel Nations, a man who police say is considered a “person of interest” in the murders of two Delphi teens, has pleaded guilty to unrelated charges out of Johnson County.

According to court officials, Nations pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender, driving while suspended, and possession of marijuana on Wednesday.

Nations will not serve any additional jail time as a result. Officials say he was sentenced to time served for the marijuana charge, no jail time for the driving while suspended charge, and 702 days of probation for the failing to register charge.

Officials say Nations is now on active probation and has expressed interest in moving back to Colorado, where he was extricated from after allegedly using a hatchet to threaten hikers on a trail.

Last year, detectives from Indiana also traveled to Colorado to interview Nations in connection with the murders of Abby Williams and Libby German. While he’s still considered a “person of interest” in the case, police said on the anniversary of the girls’ disappearance they aren’t too concerned with him at this time.

“We went out to Colorado and we spent a little time with him, and he’s not a person we care a lot about at this moment and time,” said Carter. “Until somebody is arrested, we’re interested in almost everybody.”

The search for person who killed the Delphi teens continues. Anyone with information that may help investigators is asked to call the tip line: 844-459-5786.