BOU BOU PHONESAVANH (Phonesavah) - 19 months (5/14) - Atlanta, GA

15:52 EST, 30 May 2014

SWAT team throws a stun grenade into a toddler's CRIB during drugs raid leaving him in a coma with severe burns

   Wisconsin mother Alecia Phonesavanh and her 19-month-old son, Bou, were visiting her sister-in-law in Atlanta, Georgia
   They were all asleep when police raided the home early Wednesday
   Phonesavanh said officers threw a grenade, which landed in her baby's crib and exploded in his face
   The child was seriously injured and was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital's burn unit where doctors placed him in a medically induced coma
   Most photographs of the baby's burns are too graphic to show
   Police said a multijurisdictional drug unit issued a warrant and organized the SWAT operation
   It's not clear if any drugs were found in the home during the raid

By Helen Pow

Published: 17:55 EST, 29 May 2014 | Updated: 15:52 EST, 30 May 2014

A family is in shock after a SWAT team threw a stun grenade into their 19-month-old son's crib during a midnight drugs raid, leaving the baby in a medically induced coma with severe burns.

Wisconsin mother Alecia Phonesavanh, her husband, Bounkham, and their children including toddler, Bou Jr., were visiting her sister-in-law in Atlanta, Georgia, when police raided the home early Wednesday.

Phonesavanh said officers threw a stun grenade, which landed in the sleeping child's crib.

'It landed in his playpen and exploded on his pillow right in his face,' the distraught mother told WSBTV. 'It's my baby. He's only a baby. He didn't deserve any of this.'

A picture shows the charred portable crib. Most photographs of the baby's injuries are too graphic to share though one shows burns all over his face.

Cornelia Police Chief Rick Darby confirmed the raid took place at the home just before 3 a.m.

He said a multijurisdictional drug unit issued a warrant and organized the SWAT operation. It's not clear if any drugs were found in the home during the raid.
Crib: This picture shows the badly charred portable crib

Crib: This picture shows the badly charred portable crib

Scene: Police raided this Cornela, Georgia, home early Thursday

Scene: Police raided this Cornela, Georgia, home early Thursday

Shocked: The child's mom, Alecia Phonesavanh, pictured, is in shock after what happened to her baby

Shocked: The child's mom, Alecia Phonesavanh, pictured, is in shock after what happened to her baby

Deputies said they bought drugs from the house and came back with a no-knock warrant to arrest a man known to have drugs and weapons, WSB reported. They arrested Wanis Thometheva, 30, during the raid.

Darby told WSBTV that the entire police unit is upset over the incident, which was an accident.

Bou Sr., a musician, wrote of his grief on his Facebook page Thursday morning.

'My friends my heart my mind my soul is fill with sadness right now my son is not doing too good l will need few days to get myself together l will get back and share music with you when we are all feels better keep rocking friends.'

Friends of the Phonesavanh family have set up a fund to help pay for medical expenses for the little boy. To donate, click here.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2643344/Horror-SWAT-team-throw-stun-grenade-toddlers-CRIB-drugs-raid-leaving-coma-severe-burns.html

Toddler critically injured by SWAT grenade recovering

Keith Whitney, WXIA-TV
11:39 p.m. EDT June 25, 2014

HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. -- A toddler who was nearly killed last month after a botched drug raid in Habersham County is making a remarkable recovery -- but the child still has a very long way to go, as the investigation into what went wrong continues.

The Habersham County district attorney, Brian Rickman, says his office has done more than 30 interviews with witnesses in the case, covering everything from the search warrant to the entry procedure to the swat team's training to who made the call to go in.

Meanwhile, the little toddler who was critically burned is amazing everyone around him.

"The word that his father has been using is this is a miracle," said family attorney Mawuli Mel Davis. "This is a miracle."

And for little Bou Bou Phoesavanh, it is no less than a miracle to go from where he was to where he is today. It has been a journey from near-death, back to the arms of his loving family, with a smile no less.

"He is smiling," said attorney Davis. "What has happened is that you're seeing the power of a family together.. A loving family and I think that their love and energy is really nurturing him and bringing him back to life. Because he was really on the brink."

He is not out of the woods yet.

The terrible injuries to his chest and face will likely take months to heal before he can go home. He spends 8 hours in rehab a day, re-learning the baby steps and words he already knew.

"They're working on his speech, being able to walk again," Davis explained. "Everything. Because the explosion impacted his brain."

While investigators try to reconstruct the events of that night in May when deputies from the county's SWAT team lobbed a flash bang grenade into his crib, Bou Bou apparently sees it over and over. In his dreams.

"He woke up yelling and screaming multiple times," said Davis. "We think he might be re-living it. He's not able to communicate why. But he's going through it. The girls are as well."

That's because Bou Bou's sisters and parents were all in the room when the flash-bang went off. They believe it actually landed on the baby's chest, where it exploded with the sound of a pound of TNT and a million candle power of blinding light.

It is the reason critics say the device should rarely be used by police just looking for drugs.

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/2014/06/25/injured-toddler-recovering/11387173/

Posted: 4:25 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, 2014

County will not pay medical bills for toddler hurt in Habersham raid

HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. — Habersham County officials say they do not plan to pay for the medical expenses of a toddler seriously injured during a police raid.

Bounkham Phonesavah, affectionately known as "Baby Boo Boo," spent weeks in a burn unit after a SWAT team's flash grenade exploded near his face. The toddler was just 19-months-old and asleep in the early morning hours of May 28. SWAT officers threw the device into his home while executing a search warrant for a drug suspect.

Habersham County officials are defending their decision not to pay, but the child's family isn't giving up.

After weeks of recovery at two different hospitals, Channel 2 Action News was there in July as the little boy walked out of a hospital with his family.

He is doing better, but late Friday afternoon, his family's attorney told said the family’s medical bills are mounting.

“But at this point, the county is refusing to pay,” said attorney Muwali Davis.

Habersham County’s attorney provided the following statement, saying: "The question before the board was whether it is legally permitted to pay these expenses. After consideration of this question following advice of counsel, the board of commissioners has concluded that it would be in violation of the law for it to do so." 

The attorney for Boo Boo’s family insists that is not good enough.

The Phonesavahs' attorney also says an independent investigation showed authorities used faulty information to get a search warrant.

In June, Habersham County's sheriff said a confidential informant told them he had bought drugs at the home. But they didn't think any children lived there.

The SWAT team did not find the person it was looking for in the home. An investigation is underway into the handling of the case. Meanwhile, Boo Boo and his family have moved back to Wisconsin. Supporters are planning a fundraiser for him in August.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/lawyer-county-refuses-pay-medical-bills-toddler-hu/ng3s9/