Everett man charged after infant daughter suffers brain injury

EVERETT, Wash. - An Everett man has been charged with child assault after his infant daughter suffered a brain injury.

Shane Cowherd, 33, was charged earlier this month in Snohomish County Superior Court with second-degree assault of a child, The Daily Herald reported.

He told detectives he panicked when he threw the baby onto the bed in 2018, causing her to land in a way that resulted in the brain bleed, charging papers say. When he brought her into Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, he said he fell on her, according to charging papers.

A forensic nurse examiner said the injuries were not consistent with a fall. A doctor told detectives that Cowherd’s version of events probably wouldn’t have led to the brain bleed or other bruising found on the girl’s body.

When the detective questioned whether Cowherd was telling the truth, he changed his story. He said he was frustrated, according to charging papers, and tried everything to get the girl to stop crying.

Cowherd said he didn’t tell the truth because he was scared of losing everything, documents said.

Since then, the girl has had her name changed and put in the care of a different guardian.

The girl’s foster mother has told detectives that the girl did not act like a neurologically normal infant. A doctor told detectives that most infants who suffer similar brain bleeds have some degree of permanent brain injury.

Cowherd is set to be arraigned on Wednesday. It wasn’t immediately known if he has an attorney.