Man sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally shaking his infant son
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A 25-year-old Indianapolis man will go to prison for 20 years after a jury found him guilty of aggravated battery resulting in the 2021 death of his 4-month old son.
Brandon Herring was sentenced Thursday in Marion Superior Court 28.
Indianapolis police said officers were sent to assist with a child choking around 5 p.m. Aug. 27, 2021, in the 2900 block of South Pennsylvania Street. That’s an an apartment building southeast of the intersection of West Troy Avenue and South Meridian Street on the city’s south side.
The boy died Aug. 29, 2021. The mother had told News 8 that the boy’s name was Jaxson Thompson; an IMPD homicide report had given his name as Jaxon Thompson.
Herring was charged Aug. 31, 2021, according to online court documents.
Physicians at Riley Hospital for Children told detectives that medical scans revealed injuries consistent with Thompson being shaken, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday in a news release. “Medical records ultimately stated that he had experienced ‘clear nonaccidental trauma given retinal hemorrhages and diffuse intracranial injury.’ The physicians informed detectives that a fall would not adequately explain these injuries.”
Herring, upon learning how the boy died, told investigators, “I lost my cool,” and admitted he became frustrated and shook the child.
As the case went through Marion Superior Court 28, concerns were expressed about the judge’s decision to initially release Herring on bond in 2021.
In a statement after the Oct. 23 verdict against Herring, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, a Democrat, wrote, “This was a completely avoidable tragedy. As parents it is our duty to protect our child from harm — not inflict it. If you or a loved one is struggling with the anxiety of being a new parent, reach out for help. In addition to family and friends, there are organizations and resources dedicated to addressing the hardships parents of newborns face.”
On Thursday, the prosecutor shared links to resources for struggling parents.
