Mitchell Woman Arrested After Alleged Antique Bottle Attack and Death Threats 🚨⚖️

A midnight domestic disturbance in Mitchell resulted in multiple criminal allegations against a 32-year-old woman after she allegedly struck a man in the head with a heavy glass bottle and later threatened to burn the house down.

Lacey Y. Brandt was arrested on-site early Monday morning, June 8, 2026, by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department.

Midnight Disturbance on Earl Road

At approximately 12:02 a.m., emergency dispatchers received a 911 call reporting a physical domestic dispute at a residence in the 2800 block of Earl Road. The caller indicated that a glass bottle had been thrown at a male subject, causing a severe head injury.

Upon arriving at the scene, Sgt. Whitney Daugherty located Brandt standing outside on the home's exterior deck. Inside the living room, officers discovered Joshua Mills lying on the floor with a towel covering his head, actively bleeding from a laceration. A second male was also present and noted that he was the victim's brother.

The Bottle Throw and On-Scene Assault

The injured man informed deputies that he lives in a camper on the property and had entered the main home after hearing his brother and Brandt locked in a heated argument. When he told Brandt to "shut up," Brandt—who was standing near an upstairs balcony—allegedly hurled a thick, antique glass bottle down at him, striking him directly in the head.

While the investigating sergeant briefly returned to a patrol vehicle to retrieve a department phone to photograph the crime scene, Brandt reportedly re-entered the home and physically struck her partner.

The sergeant immediately ran back to the home and witnessed Brandt pursuing a man out onto the deck. Brandt ignored direct law enforcement orders to stop and subsequently grabbed a box from a television stand, throwing it forcefully at her partner before she was successfully detained and placed in handcuffs.

Combative Behavior and Extreme Intoxication

Brandt refused to cooperate with processing, continuously screaming and interrupting deputies as they attempted to read her Miranda rights. Because she remained highly belligerent and continued shouting at both men, she was placed in the rear of a patrol vehicle to de-escalate the situation.

Despite receiving an official disorderly conduct warning from Officer C. Pruett, Brandt reportedly launched into a series of explicit threats. Officers documented that she promised to burn the house down, slash their vehicle tires, and kill both men as soon as she was released from jail.

Deputies noted that Brandt exhibited clear signs of heavy alcohol consumption. She submitted to a portable breath test at the scene, registering a 0.205% BrAC. A secondary test administered later during medical clearance at IU Health Bedford revealed her alcohol level had risen to 0.211% BrAC—nearly triple Indiana's legal driving limit.

Refusal to Press Charges

Inside the home, officers located the shattered remains of the thick antique bottle inside a trash can where it had been cleaned up.

Although both male victims ultimately declined to sign formal battery affidavits—with the injured male noting he did not want to jeopardize his living arrangements on the property—Brandt was arrested on-site due to the visible physical trauma, active threats, and the secondary assault witnessed directly by law enforcement.

Following medical clearance, Brandt was transported to the Lawrence County Jail for booking.

Lacey Y. Brandt Preliminary Charges:
🔹 Domestic Battery
🔹 Battery with Bodily Injury
🔹 Intimidation
🔹 Disorderly Conduct

Case Number: S26-00705 Arresting Officer: Sgt. Whitney Daugherty, Lawrence County Sheriff's Department

Disclaimer: All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.