Prosecutors dismiss dodgeball assault case

Prosecutors have dismissed charges against a 10-year-old Michigan boy accused of assaulting another student by throwing a ball at his head during a schoolyard dodgeball game.

While the boy no longer faces criminal charges, “the mother of the alleged victim had every right to go to the authorities and the authorities had an obligation to investigate,” Maria Miller, assistant prosecuting attorney at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office, said in a press release.

Miller’s press release also points out, “When this case was reviewed by my office, no one paid attention the race of either party.” In some reports about the case, critics suggested the charges were racially motivated because the 10-year-old is black and the boy he hit is white.

“It is categorically wrong to suggest that this was charged based on race or geography,” Miller wrote.

Miller’s statement clarified that the 10-year-old was never arrested and that she did not make her decision based on public outcry. She also pointed out there are other options for a juvenile rather than being prosecuted, and expressed hope that both families involved can work out a solution for the children.

“While the charge in this case is certainly sustainable, I have instructed my staff to dismiss this case today,” Miller wrote.

The mother of the boy who was hit with the ball told WXYZ-TV she sought legal action because this was not the first time her son has been targeted. She said she reported a prior incident to the school in in mid-April.

Her son “sustained facial issue damage to his face. He had a black eye and a bruised nose,” a parent at the school told WXYZ-TV. 

CBS News has reached out to the mother of the boy accused, Cameishi Triplett Lindley, before and after the charges were dropped and is awaiting response. The victim has remained anonymous. 

In a recent Facebook post, Lindley explained that during a game of dodgeball, her son Bryce threw a ball at a child with a “chronic brain stem infliction,” causing a concussion. Lindley said after the April incident, her son was first suspended from school, then later informed of the assault charge. Lindley created a Facebook fundraiser to collect money for legal fees.