CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich.– Imagine getting a call from police telling you your 10 year-old son has been charged with aggravated assault over something that happened during a game on the playground.
That’s exactly what happened to a mother in Michigan last week. Another child’s mother is pressing charges, saying the 10 year-old purposely threw a ball at her son’s face.
“These kids are basically playing a game that we all have played,” says Cameishi Lindley, mother of the accused boy.
But on April 29th, what seemed like a harmless game ended with one student seriously hurt. According to the victim’s mother, the boy has a rare medical condition making head injuries especially dangerous.
According to a police report, another student threw at his face on purpose.
“He sustained facial tissue damage to his face. He had a black eye and a bruise nose,” said the victim’s mother, who asked not to be identified.
The boy, in 4th grade when it happened, also suffered a concussion.
Lindley says she and her son, Bryce, had no idea about the boy’s condition.
Wednesday, Bryce was charged with aggravated assault.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Lindley. This on top of a one day suspension which occurred right after the incident.
THIS IS ON TOP OF A ONE DAY SUSPENSION WHICH OCCURRED RIGHT AFTER THE INCIDENT.
“This is a kid that was playing on the playground with his friends,” said Lindley.
“I tried to not let it get to this point,” says the woman pressing charges.
She says her son had been hurt before and she had reported it to the school.
“My son was hit twice in the face with a ball previously due to this,” she says, “and the child apologized to my son and he said mom it’s OK we’re still gonna be friends.”
“I’m unaware of any of those situations. Sorry that her child got hurt. I’d be sorry for any child that got hurt,” says Lindley.
Lindley says she wishes problems like this could be solved int the classroom instead of court.
