Boy, 10, charged with assault after schoolmate injured in dodgeball game
A 10-year-old boy has been charged with aggravated assault after a game of dodgeball at his primary school where a classmate was hit in the face with the ball.
Bryce Lindley, a Year 5 student at Ruth Eriksson Elementary in Canton in the US state of Michigan, initially received a one-day suspension after the incident on April 29.
The injured child reportedly sustained a concussion, but because it was an accident Bryce’s mother Cameishi Lindley didn’t expect any further punishments against her son.
But last week, Ms Lindley received the shock of her life when she answered a phone call from her local juvenile court, explaining that her son would be charged with aggravated assault.
The mum told local news station 7 Action News she “couldn’t believe it”.
“This is a kid that was playing on the playground with his friends,” she said.
The injured child’s mother — who declined to release her name or her child’s to the public — said her son had a previous medical condition that made him susceptible to head injuries.
“He sustained facial issue damage to his face. He had a black eye and a bruised nose,” she told 7 Action News.
She further alleged that her son’s injuries were no accident, claiming he had experienced similar incidents before at school.
But the latest incident involving Bryce was the final straw, adding: “I tried not to let it get to this point.”
‘Ridiculous’ charge slammed as racist
The charge following the schoolyard incident has been criticised online as being racially motivated because Bryce, the alleged aggressor, is black while the injured child is white.
“Some 10 year olds were playing dodgeball on the playground at school. A white kid got hit with the ball. Then they charged the 10 year old black child with assault,” film producer Tariq Nasheed tweeted.
“This is why we should not prioritize any of these border issues, while our kids are racially targeted.”
Comedian DL Hughley took to his Instagram page to label the charge “ridiculous”, amassing more than 250,000 views in 24 hours.
“These are kids being kids!!” he wrote. “They charged a child?? If the kid has a medical condition… why is he participating in something where he can get hurt?? #ThisIsAmerica.”
Other social media users have echoed his sentiments, one noting: “If your child has a medical condition and as the parent you fail to alert the school and teacher about it, then it’s your fault! Not the kid who was just playing a game of dodgeball”.
Since learning of the charge against her son, Ms Lindley has created a crowdfunding page to help with his legal costs.
Initially aiming for US$4000 (A$5800), the page has reached more than $5500 (A$8000) in less than a week.
While Ms Lindley believes the victim should not have been playing a physical contact sport, she told 7 Action News she was sorry he was injured.
“I’m sorry that her child got hurt. I’d be sorry for any child that got hurt,” she said.
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