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Assault charge dropped against 10-year-old boy who injured classmate in dodgeball-like game

"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," a Michigan prosecutor said.

A Michigan prosecutor dismissed an assault charge against a 10-year-old boy who injured a classmate with a ball during a game students were playing at recess.

Cameishi Triplett Lindley said in a Facebook fundraising post last week that her son, Bryce, was suspended from Eriksson Elementary School in Canton Township, Michigan, and then charged with aggravated assault over the April 29 incident.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy said in a statement Wednesday that although the charge is "certainly sustainable," the case is being dismissed.

"I have no doubt that both families involved love their children and want the best for them. But I do think that there is a better way to go forward at this time," she said in a statement.

"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."

Image: Eriksson Elementary School in Canton, Michigan.
Eriksson Elementary School in Canton, Michigan.Google Maps

The incident happened when students were playing a game called tips, according to Lindley's Facebook post. Tips is similar to dodgeball. but instead of throwing the ball at each other, children toss the ball into the air and then jump up and catch it.

Lindley said the ball thrown by her son hit another boy and allegedly resulted in the boy, who is 9 years old, suffering a concussion. According to a police report obtained by WXYZ in Detroit, the boy was hit in the face with the ball.

The injured boy's mother, who did not want to be identified, told the outlet that her son has a medical condition that makes head injuries dangerous. She said her son suffered a black eye and had a bruise on his nose from being hit.

Prosecutors said that the incident between Lindley's son and the other boy happened after the students had stopped playing the game. Lindley's son allegedly "took the ball and intentionally threw it with force" at the other boy, Worthy said in a statement Wednesday.

The charge against Lindley's son was dismissed one day before he was due in court.

The injured boy's mother told WXYZ that her son had been hit with a ball twice before the April incident. Lindley told the outlet she was unaware of those incidents.

A spokesperson for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools told NBC News on Tuesday that the April incident between the two students was handled "in accordance with the applicable district policies and the Student Code of Conduct," and that the district did not contact authorities.