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Press Release - Update on the Dismissed Case Involving a 10-Year-Old Canton Youth
Update on the Dismissed Case
Involving a 10-Year-Old Canton Youth
On April 29, 2019, it was alleged that a 10-year-old was playing a ball game called Tips. A rubber ball, similar to a dodge ball, is used to play the game. Tips is a game does not involve throwing the ball at the players. During the game, the players are in a circle and everyone tosses a ball in the air. The players must catch the ball while jumping off the ground. Once the game was over, it was alleged that the 10-year-old took the ball and threw it, causing the nine-year-old to suffer a concussion and abrasions to his face. The child's mother made a complaint to the Canton Township Police Department. When the investigation was completed, it was sent to the Prosecutor's office for review.
The 10-year-old was charged as a juvenile with a misdemeanor, Aggravated Assault. On July 31, 2019, the case was permanently dismissed by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. This has been communicated to the mother of the 10-year-old child through her legal representative, attorney Maurice Davis, Jr.
Prosecutor Worthy said, "The charge in this case was a mistake in judgment by this office, even though it was rectified by permanently dismissing the case on July 31, 2019, prior to the first scheduled court proceeding. To be clear, my office will not be refiling this petition, nor was it ever the intent of our office to do so. I have taken this extremely seriously, and concrete steps have already been made. I am currently reviewing the policies and procedures of our Juvenile Division and re-enforcing internal measures to prevent a similar matter from occurring in the future."
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