Utah County Sheriff Nate Brooksby has provided more insight into the surrender of Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the shooting death of Charlie Kirk.
Robinson made his first court appearance on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, in connection with the assassination of the conservative activist. The 22-year-old appeared virtually from Utah County Jail during a brief 10-minute hearing before Judge Tony Graf.
During a press conference that took place on the following day, Sheriff Brooksby revealed some of the conditions Robinson requested before turning himself in.
Tyler Robinson's conditions
Sheriff Brooksby explained that the surrender was the result of a carefully negotiated agreement, which involved some specific requests from Robinson.
The suspect, who had been accused of the murder, did not want a violent confrontation with law enforcement, nor did he want to involve SWAT teams at his family’s residence. Instead, Robinson requested a peaceful, calm, and comfortable transition into custody, the sheriff said.
"He was truly fearful of being shot by law enforcement," Sheriff Brooksby stated, emphasizing that Robinson wanted his surrender to be handled in as non-confrontational a manner as possible.
The sheriff agreed to the terms, which included a less aggressive approach to the situation.
"If at the end of the day we accomplish him surrendering peacefully on his own, I'm going to make some concessions to make that happen," Brooksby confirmed.
While Robinson’s peaceful surrender might have shocked some, Sheriff Brooksby described the overall experience as a "double shock."
The sheriff noted that he had attended the same high school as Robinson, a resident of Washington County.
During the press conference, Sheriff Brooksby also revealed that Tyler Robinson’s parents were present in the interrogation room when he arrived at the police station. He explained, “That was part of the negotiation to get him here, that the parents would be with him when he arrived.” This request from Robinson was a key condition for his voluntary surrender.
The aftermath of Tyler Robinson's surrender
Once Robinson arrived at the police station, he was treated with civility, as is standard practice when suspects are taken into custody.
He was not handcuffed, and Sheriff Brooksby detailed how the suspect was made comfortable with water, sitting quietly on a couch while awaiting the arrival of lead investigators.
"We were treating him very civilly, humanely," Brooksby remarked.