A Ohio boy previously charged in the shooting death of his 6-year-old neighbor, King Pleasant, is facing a new set of charges.
The then-11-year-old fatally shot Pleasant near their homes in the 500 block of 19th Street NW on Sept. 14, 2020, according to investigators.
The teen, now 13, maintained the gun accidentally discharged while the two were playing with the firearm, which was stolen and never reported.
Canton police have not determined how the firearm ended up in the child’s hands and no adults have been charged.
The Canton Police Department late last month filed three new criminal complaints against the juvenile.
He now faces one count of reckless homicide and one count of tampering with evidence – both third-degree felonies – and one count of discharging firearms, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.
According to the juvenile complaints filed in Stark County Family Court, the boy fired the gun that struck King Pleasant and threw it between a fence and garage behind a residence prior to running home. The discharging charge accuses him of illegally firing in the city.
The 13-year-old was set to appear for arraignment at Stark County Family Court on Monday, but the hearing is continued until Aug. 16.
The Stark County Prosecutor’s Office requested a special prosecutor due to a conflict of interest, which was granted by the court.
The Summit County Prosecutor’s Office has been assigned special prosecutor.
In February 2021, Stark County Family Court Judge David Nist ruled the same juvenile was not mentally fit enough to understand the legal proceedings against him and could not be restored to competency for trial within the six months required by Ohio law.
Pleasant’s family protested the dismissal and the city leading up to the defendant’s arrest.
The juvenile’s family could not be reached for comment Monday about the new charges.
Stark County Prosecutor Kyle Stone’s office released the following statement:
“Prior to Prosecutor Stone taking office, his predecessor requested a special prosecutor given that Mr. Stone had previously worked with King Pleasant’s family, presenting a conflict.
Given that this conflict still exists, it was appropriate to again request a special prosecutor, and have Summit County continue its work on this case.”
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