CANTON, Mich. – A 10-year-old in Michigan has been charged with assault after throwing a ball at another child's face during a game of dodgeball.
The mother of the boy who was hit, who did not want to be identified by WXYZ, said her child was seriously hurt on April 29. He has a rare medical condition making head injuries especially dangerous.
According to a police report, during the playground game, another student threw a ball at his face on purpose.
"He sustained facial tissue damage to his face,” the mother of the injured child said. “He had a black eye and a bruised nose."
Record show the then-fourth grader also suffered a concussion.
His condition is something mother Cameishi Lindley says she and her son Bryce knew nothing about.
On Wednesday, Bryce was charged with aggravated assault.
"I couldn't believe it," Lindley said.
The charge 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," Lindley said.
The mother of the injured boy claims her son had been hurt before and that she reported it to the school.
"I tried to not let it get to this point,” she said. “My son was hit twice in the face with a ball previously due to this 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,” Lindley said. “Sorry that her child got hurt. I'd be sorry for any child that got hurt."
Lindley just wishes problems like this could be solved in the classroom, not the court.
The case will go before a judge in juvenile court August 1.