INDIANAPOLIS — NOTE: On Aug. 21, 2023, the attempted murder and unlawful carrying of a firearm charges against Paul Berkemeier were dismissed, according to online court records.
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The man accused of shooting at a local radio personality now faces an attempted murder charge.
IMPD investigators say Paul Berkemeier shot at an SUV driven by Ronald Sexton early in the morning of Dec. 11 on the northeast side of Indianapolis.
Sexton, a stand-up comedian who is known for his "Donnie Baker" character on "The BOB & TOM Show," said after the shooting, he counted nine holes in his rental car and that he believed he knew the shooter.
In court documents released this week, Sexton told police he had driven to Indianapolis after performing in Portland, Indiana and made plans to meet Berkemeier's wife, with whom he was having an affair. Sexton, who is also married, referred to Mrs. Berkemeier as his "girlfriend" during an interview with an IMPD detective.
The pair met at the Northside Bar and Grill at 7526 N. Shadeland Ave., then left in separate cars a short time later, reportedly planning to leave Mrs. Berkemeier's car in the parking garage at Community North Hospital.
Sexton told police as he drove toward Community North, a vehicle pulled up on his left and he "immediately recognized the driver to be Mrs. Berkemeier's husband, Paul Berkemeier," whom he had seen on several occasions before.
Sexton had filed a police report in October 2021 after Paul Berkemeier "attacked him" and that Berkemeier had made threats toward Sexton and his family in the past.
Sexton told police he saw Berkemeier raise a gun and heard several "pops" before hearing what he believed was a bullet hitting his windshield. Sexton's face was struck with shattered glass, injuring his ear and cheek.
"It wasn't a scare tactic, he was trying to make sure that I was dead. He was trying to kill me, there's no doubt," Sexton said in a December interview.
Berkemeier's wife corroborated Sexton's story, the court documents show, telling police her husband became angry when he found out she left their home near Shelbyville to meet up with Sexton. She told investigators she believed, from earlier incidents, that her husband had installed a GPS tracker on her vehicle.
Cell phone records and license plate cameras allegedly placed Berkemeier's cellphone and vehicle in the area of the shooting at 8000 N. Shadeland Ave. at the time the shots were reportedly fired.
In addition to the attempted murder charge, Berkemeier was also charged with unlawful carrying of a firearm due to a 2017 felony conviction for theft.
He was arrested earlier this week and will make his initial court appearance on Tuesday, Jan. 17.