Docs: Shelbyville man charged after shaking infant, causing ‘near fatal event’

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. — A Shelbyville man has been charged after he reportedly shook his 3-month-old infant, causing the infant to have to be taken to the hospital for a “near fatal event.”

According to court documents filed on Wednesday in Shelby County, 28-year-old Kyle James Lawson has officially been charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious injury, a Level 3 felony.

On July 13, emergency medical services were transported to an apartment in Shelbyville after a father of an infant, later identified as Lawson, called regarding that his infant was unresponsive. The infant was taken to a local hospital, but was later airlifted to an Indianapolis children’s hospital because of a likely brain injury.”

Doctors at the Indianapolis hospital said the infant reportedly had the following injuries:

• 18 healing rib fractures, all in different stages of healing
• A left tibial corner fracture
• A fractured second finger on the left hand
• Subdural hemorrages on both sides of the head
• Blood on three total spots in the spine.

Doctors said at the time that the injuries were consistent with abusive head trauma. While he was at the hospital, Lawson reportedly told medical providers “maybe I shook her, I don’t really know.”

The child’s mother reportedly told police that Lawson had contacted her before he called 911. The mother stated that Lawson “had not made direct admissions but did feel that some of his conversation was apologetic for his behavior, causing the injuries to the child.”

The mother reportedly told the medical providers that she had previously seen a red spot on the infant’s pupil. The mother had also reportedly seen blood mixed with the infant’s saliva.

During the investigation, detectives obtained communications between Lawson and the mother before the 911 call was placed. After an initial phone call and FaceTime, Lawson reportedly asked her “Am I really calling 911? What the f— could have happened?” The mother reportedly responded “I don’t like her breathing.”

In a text the next day, Lawson reportedly told the mother that the incident was “all (his) fault” and stated that he needs help with his mental health and anger issues.

“I’ll never forgive myself for what has happened,” the text reportedly read. “I’m not gonna stop fighting for our family.”

In an additional text that Lawson reportedly sent to another family member, he told them that he did not do anything intentionally.

Later in the investigation, officials received security camera footage from the home during the day of the incident. That footage reportedly shows Lawson shaking the infant side to side three times while the infant was on a changing table. The footage also reportedly shows Lawson giving the infant rescue breaths and flipping her over by her leg.

A doctor at the hospital told officials that the events seen on the video “are the type of abusive behavior expected to cause (the) near fatal event.”

“(The infant’s) constellation of injuries is diagnostic of abusive head trauma,” the doctor reportedly told officials. “(The infant) had been injured several times in the weeks prior to her near fatal event as evidenced by prior bruises, prior subconjunctival hemorrhages and multiple healing fractures on initial x-rays.

“(The infant) was injured again in the minutes to hours prior to the near fatal even as evidenced by the clinical history of an infant at her typical baseline who then had sudden respiratory arrest in the setting of head trauma,” the doctor continued.

In an interview with Lawson, he told police that he did not remember shaking the infant on the changing table. Lawson also said he did not remember giving the infant rescue breaths and flipping the infant over by her leg.

Later, Lawson told police that he had some “time blindness” with his ADHD, stating that he had recently been stressed and had recently been having blackout periods. However, he told police that he was “sure he did not cause the previous injuries to (the infant).”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 59.