As 22-year-old Tyler Robinson prepared to surrender to authorities, he allegedly negotiated a “peaceful” handover, which allowed him to avoid being taken into custody at gunpoint, according to a responding sheriff.
This week’s indictment of Robinson has clarified the events surrounding his arrest after a 33-hour manhunt. Law enforcement was following leads stemming from the September 10 murder of Charlie Kirk, after the college student’s family reported his confession to the crime.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby shared that he received a call from a retired police officer and friend, who informed him that Robinson had agreed to turn himself in on the night of September 11.
Robinson reportedly expressed to his family a readiness to end his own life, but they persuaded him to reconsider.
According to Brooksby, Robinson feared being shot if a SWAT team surrounded his family’s home in Washington, Utah. “He was fearful of a SWAT team hit on his house, or he was fearful of being shot by law enforcement. So part of the negotiation in getting him to bring himself in was that we would treat it as delicate and as soft as possible to make him feel comfortable to where he would show up at my office, and that’s exactly what happened,” Brooksby explained.
“He asked basically for a peaceful, gentle, comfortable transition for him to come out,” he added.
Robinson understood that, given the significant law enforcement pressure, it was only a matter of time before he would be caught. “Tyler knew it was just inevitable with all the law enforcement pressure that he, his picture in the news, the gun, the gun on the news,” Brooksby noted.
The sheriff received the initial call about Robinson around 8:02 p.m., as reported by Conservative Brief. “I could tell his voice was kind of shaky, so my first thought is, ‘Who died?’” he recalled. “And then I couldn’t fathom what actually came out of his mouth.”
Brooksby continued, “He said, ‘Hey, I know who Charlie Kirk’s shooter is. I know the family through religious association, and he’s in Washington County now. And we’re working to get him to come in voluntarily.’” During the call, information was shared regarding Robinson potentially having suicidal thoughts and heading to a remote area of Washington County. His parents ultimately convinced him to surrender peacefully, assuring him of their support.
