More local headlines:
- American doctor with Ebola walks into Emory Hospital
- Trial for FAMU hazing defendants set for October
- Security guard questioned in fatal shooting at DeKalb food store
- Hawks GM Ferry responds to smoking gun letter about inappropriate comments
- Family members charged in toddler's shooting death
- Woman claims son badly injured in high school football camp
- 3 hunters cleared of felony charges in connection to undercover sting
- 10-year-old says man tried to kidnap him in DeKalb
A grand jury will soon begin to look at a case of a child injured in a SWAT raid earlier this year.
District Attorney Brian Rickman said 23 citizens will examine every piece of evidence surrounding the raid that critically injured a 19-month-old child.
"The grand jury is made up of ordinary citizens. They're not law enforcement officers, they're not attorneys," Rickman said.
Bounkham Phonesavanh, nicknamed baby 'Bou-Bou,' and his parents were staying with relatives at a home in Habersham County the night a SWAT team raided it.
The family says officers threw a flash bang grenade into the home while serving a no-knock warrant in the middle of the night, critically injuring the child.
The Habersham County sheriff says an informant purchased drugs at the front door of the home the day before the raid, and told officers there was no indication of children inside the home.
The night of the raid in May, a deputy used a flash-bang device. It landed in Bou-Bou’s crib and exploded.
"The first question they'll address is, ‘Are you comfortable with this investigation?’" Rickman said.
Rickman is referring to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the raid and what led up to it.
"The second question is, ‘Do you recommend criminal charges against any person, (and) if so, for what?" Rickman added.
Channel 2’s Kerry Kavanaugh spoke exclusively to Rickman about his decision. He met with representatives for the Phonesavanh family to inform them about the grand jury process. The group met in Coweta County, where the district attorney is working on the investigation as an independent adviser.
"The hope obviously is that there are officers that were involved that were held accountable for the actions of May 28," Mawuli Davis, attorney for the Phonesavanh family, said.
Davis was joined by several civil rights advocates who all want justice for the boy.
"At the end of the day, a baby was blown up. A nose was detached. A cavity was blown open," Rev. Tim McDonald said.
The grand jury will begin Sept. 29 and should last four days.
As a potential criminal process is underway, the child's medical process continues back in his home state of Wisconsin.
He will undergo his eighth surgery on Wednesday to remove the stitches that were used to reattach his nose after the incident.
The county has refused to pay the child's medical bills, leaving the family responsible for funding the surgeries.
About the Author
