A schoolyard dodgeball game came to a crashing halt when one young man was hurt. The other now faces charges for assault. The classic game has been up for debate recently by parents who are afraid their children will get hurt. Others say that this whole thing has gone too far.
A Michigan elementary school student was charged with aggravated assault for hitting a classmate in the head with a ball during a game of dodgeball on the school playground, according to WXYZ-TV Detroit.
Ten-year-old Bryce Lindley, who is entering fifth grade, learned he was being charged last week for the incident that occurred back on April 29. At the time, he was suspended from school for one day. His mother was blown away.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Bryce’s mother, Carmeishi. “This is a kid that was playing on the playground with his friends.”
The boy who was hit with the ball suffered facial tissue damage, a black eye and a bruised nose. His mother said he has a medical condition that makes him susceptible to head injuries. He was diagnosed with a concussion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MCBatem7G
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.
“My son was hit twice in the face with a ball previously due to this. The child apologized to my son and my son said ‘Mom, it’s OK, we’re still going to be friends,'” the mother, who remained anonymous, told the station. However, the incident on April 29th was the final straw, she said. She was worried for her child’s safety.
Lindley said she was not aware of any of the previous incidents and is sorry the other child got hurt. She said she wishes problems like this could be solved in the classroom — not the courtroom.