A 7-year-old has been deemed too young to prosecute after stabbing a teenager on Wednesday afternoon. 

“He’s too young to charge,” said McMinnville Police Chief Nichole Mosley, who added the Department of Children’s Services has been called to investigate. 

The child allegedly stabbed a 15-year-old in the abdomen causing two lacerations. The incident occurred at Arms Apartments outside J Building at approximately 2:15 p.m.

“The 7-year-old thought the 15-year-old pushed his sister down in the mud,” said Mosley. “He went into his apartment, got a kitchen knife, came back and stabbed the teenager.”

Along with claiming defense of his sister, Mosley says the child reported to officers he had been “constantly bullied” by the teen he stabbed. 

District Attorney General Lisa Zavogiannis agrees with the decision not to prosecute.

“We aren’t talking about a life-threatening stabbing. I think it’s a superficial wound, from what I understand. I don’t know that we’ve ever charged a child that age. I think DCS has the ability to handle and deal with that child much better than the court system. That’s the avenue I’m taking with this.”

Children as young as 8 have been prosecuted as adults in some states, and others have set the minimum age at 10, 12, or 13.

“I’m sure we’ve charged some young ones,” said Zavogiannis when asked the youngest age she can remember where charges were leveled. “A long time ago, when I first started practicing, I remember a little boy. It could have been a delinquency act or a truancy act, I don’t know. His little feet were just a swinging. His feet weren’t even close to the floor. They don’t understand what they are doing. They don’t understand the court system.”

The 15-year-old was transported to Saint Thomas River Park for treatment.