Officers raiding a Georgia home in search of a drug suspect used a flash grenade not knowing children were inside, severely burning a toddler who was sleeping just inside the door, authorities and the boy's family said.
"It's a tragic incident," Sheriff Terrell said. "The baby didn't deserve this."
"The cops threw that grenade in the door without looking first, and it landed right in the playpen and exploded on his pillow right in his face," Phonesavanh told WSB-TV.
Phonesavanh said the boy's face was severely burned, and he was in a medically induced coma in a hospital.
When the officers arrived at the home, they found the door locked and used a ram to get it open enough to toss in the flash grenade, Terrell said.
The officers then pushed their way in and found the injured child in a playpen that had been pushed up against the door, Terrell said. A medic with the team took the child, who was taken to Atlanta for treatment.
The toddler's family was staying with family in Georgia after their home in Wisconsin recently burned down, Terrell said.
The suspect was not at the home, but officers found methamphetamine residue and drug paraphernalia in his room, Terrell said. The suspect was arrested a few hours later at another location and charged with distribution of methamphetamine.
The officers involved are very upset and they and their families have been receiving death threats, Terrell said. There is no continuing investigation, and the officers involved are still on duty, he said.
Still doesn't leave them off the hook cause who in the hell throws a grenade in a house? Like just shoot the lock out or something. Uncessery use of firearms and that's what they should be charged for.
I saw this on Facebook. People are terrorizing the officers and their families online and exposing their addresses, etc.
I have no sympathy for them
Humanity is so sick... I'm almost 100% sure this was a faulty decision and they did not mean to do it. I don't think it's far to expose addresses, etc, because you're not only putting them at risk when you do that. I am glad the baby survived.
Poor baby! 
How could the parents leave a baby all alone like that? 
