Wayne County drops assault charges against 10-year-old for school game
(Photo by Micah Walter/Getty Images)
CANTON, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday it has dropped the aggravated assault charges filed against a 10-year-old boy for hitting another kid in the face with a ball after an in-school game.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy said she instructed her staff to dismiss the charges that had been filed against the 10-year-old Canton boy who was charged with hitting another child in the face with a ball after a game of 'tips'.
Cameishi Lindley is the mother of the 10-year-old boy, and she claimed Tuesday that the "trumped-up charges" were racist and demanded the charges be dropped.
Worthy said on Wednesday that race was never a factor and it was "categorically wrong to suggest that this was charged based on race or geography."
She also said that pressure from the public does not impact her decision on any case. She said the charges were dropped because there must be a better way to resolve the issue than to charge the young boy with aggravated assault.
"It is my earnest hope that both sides will come back to the table to work out a solution that benefits both of these children," Worthy said.
RELATED: Canton boy, 10, charged with assault for hitting student during school game
According to Lindley, the boy was charged in June for the April 30 incident when he hit another student in the face with a dodgeball. Lindley said they were playing dodgeball, while Worthy said they were playing 'tips', where a rubber ball, similar to a dodgeball, is used but it does not involve throwing the ball at players.
In Tips, players stand in a circle, throw the ball in the air, and then try to catch it, while jumping.
When the game was over, the 10-year-old took the ball and then threw it at a 9-year-old, hitting the child in the face. That child suffered a concussion and abrasions and a complaint was filed with Canton Township.