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Man accused of throwing baby against wall
A Milwaukee man is charged with life-threatening child abuse after prosecutors say he threw a baby against a wall while playing video games.
MILWAUKEE - WARNING: The information in this article and video describes child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
A Milwaukee man is charged with life-threatening child abuse after prosecutors say he threw a baby against a wall while playing video games.
20-year-old Jalin White faces two felony counts:
- Child Abuse - Intentionally Cause Great Bodily Harm
- Neglecting a Child (Consequence is Great Bodily Harm)
Jalin White is currently being held on a $100,000 cash bond, and he has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 15.
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Jalin White
Case details
Child abuse complaint at Children's Wisconsin
According to the criminal complaint, on Nov. 5, Milwaukee police officers and detectives responded to Children's Wisconsin to investigate a child abuse complaint.
The child abuse complaint involves the victim, a baby who is a little more than eight months old.
The complaint states that the baby was severely injured and had to be intubated. The baby lost a pulse and the treating team had to administer multiple rounds of CPR to bring the pulse back.
A CT exam revealed that the baby had a "large comminuted parietal skull fracture to the right side that was slightly displaced, along with a large right-sided subdural hemorrhage with midline shift of the brain from right to left. A chest x-ray revealed multiple, six total, posterior rib fractures in different stages of healing, along with a healing left clavicle fracture. A craniectomy was performed to drain the subdural hemorrhage and alleviate pressure on the baby's brain. Based on the severity of the baby’s brain injury, the baby is not expected to survive."
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Details of the child abuse
Interview with the defendant
The complaint goes on to say that officers determined that the baby was living at a residence near 42nd and Good Hope. Officers interviewed those living at the residence, including the defendant, Jalin White, who was arrested. A woman was also arrested.
On Nov. 6, detectives conducted an in-custody interview of White, who made the following admissions against his interests.
Initially, White said that the baby’s skull fracture and head injury were the result of the other woman bumping the baby’s head on the door frame when she was rushing out of the bedroom to show the unresponsive baby to him. When confronted with the severity of the baby’s injuries, White claimed that the baby fell while he was changing the baby’s diaper. Specifically, White claimed that as he was changing the baby’s diaper, the baby was on the bed (an air mattress) and fell to the carpeted floor. Detectives explained that a short fall onto a carpeted surface would not result in the severe injuries the baby sustained.
The complaint goes on to say that White said he dropped the baby while he was standing and playing video games. The baby squirmed and fell "hard to the floor." White speculated that the baby’s head must have hit a part of the dresser or a pole on the way to the floor. Detectives showed White scene photos and confronted White about what the baby’s head could have possibly hit.
Detectives confronted White directly by asking him, "did you try to put him on the bed, and he hit the wall?" In response, White admitted to throwing the baby against the wall. Specifically, White was playing video games. The baby was inside his pack 'n' play. White picked the baby up while playing video games to "keep him chill for a little bit." The baby was getting heavy in White’s arms, so he threw the baby against the wall and onto the bed. The baby struck the wall approximately a foot above the bed before landing face first on the bed, per the complaint.
Details of the incident
Detectives told White that they would confirm with medical professionals whether his explanation of throwing the baby against the wall would account for the severity of the baby’s injuries. In response, White said, "He hit his head hard on the wall, bro. I swear he hit his head hard on the wall" and "I heard the wall, it was hard on his head. It was hard. It was a loud hard wall," and "I heard the impact of the wall after I tossed him." White said he was playing NBA 2K and the game was competitive. He was down two points in the fourth quarter of the game and became frustrated while holding the baby, ultimately throwing the baby against the wall.