Olympia boy, 6, was injured in a fall, not a fight, police say
.jpg "More than $12,000 has been raised for a six-year-old Olympia boy who was injured in a fight last week.")
Updated story:
A 6-year-old Olympia boy who claimed he was seriously injured in a fight defending a friend was actually hurt in a fall, according to Olympia police.
Police determined Thursday that the boy fell at his apartment on Aug. 22, possibly from a window.
Lt. Sam Costello said his mother came home last Wednesday and found her son with serious injuries, including a broken arm. He told her he had defended a friend who was being bullied and was injured in a fight. He was later treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to Komonews.com.
“There are no suspects of any age,” Olympia police said in a news release Thursday.
No charges will be filed because police think the mother believed her son and did not make up the story.
The story was widely reported and generated thousands in donations to a GoFundMe account that has since been taken down, Costello said.
At one point more than $12,000 had been raised. Before the account was taken down, the total amount raised had “grown exponentially,” Costello said.
Although charges are not being filed, “appropriate social services have been notified to ensure the continued welfare of the child involved,” a news release reads.
The earlier version of the story:
More than $12,000 has been raised for a six-year-old Olympia boy who was injured in a fight last week.
The GoFundMe account, which had an original fundraising goal of $5,500, has so far raised $12,537.
The account was set up by friends of the boy’s mother, who wanted to help her with medical bills and gas money.
“He is a very smart boy and loves video games, playing with his friends and being with his family,” the GoFundMe post reads.
Komonews.com reported Friday that the boy suffered several injuries and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after he stood up to a group of kids who were bullying his friend.
The boy, according to Komonews.com, was attacked by the group of kids outside his apartment in Olympia on Wednesday.
After the fight, the boy ended up with a broken arm, lacerated eye and several cuts and bruises across his head and face, according to Komonews.com.
“It’s been hell,” the boy’s mother, Dana English, told Komonews.com. “I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten. I can’t do anything. I can’t even leave his side.”
Olympia police are investigating the incident, according to Komonews.com.
This story was originally published August 27, 2018 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Olympia boy, 6, was injured in a fall, not a fight, police say."