Milwaukee man, accused of throwing baby, sentenced to prison

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Jalin White in court for a plea and sentencing hearing on Dec. 30, 2025.

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man accused of throwing a baby against a wall while playing video games pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

In court:

Prosecutors charged 22-year-old Jalin White with child abuse and child neglect. He pleaded guilty to both counts and was sentenced to 12 years in prison and seven years of extended supervision. 

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WARNING: Details of this story may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.

Baby's injuries

The backstory:

Milwaukee police officers and detectives responded to Children's Wisconsin to investigate a child abuse complaint on Nov. 5, 2024. Court filings identified the victim as a baby who was a little more than 8 months old.

Details of the child abuse

A criminal complaint said the baby was severely injured and had to be intubated. The baby lost a pulse and the medical team had to administer multiple rounds of CPR to bring the pulse back.

Prosecutors said tests revealed the baby had a "large" skull fracture and hemorrhaging, along with six fractured ribs that were at "different stages of healing" and a healing clavicle fracture. Based on the severity of the baby's brain injury, court filings said the baby was "not expected to survive."

Interview with White

What they're saying:

The complaint said officers determined that the baby was living at a home near 42nd and Good Hope. Officers interviewed the residence, including White, who was arrested along with a woman.

During an in-custody interview, court filings said White told police that the baby's skull fracture was the result of the woman bumping the baby's head on a door frame. When confronted with the severity of the baby's injuries, he claimed the baby fell while he was changing the baby's diaper – and detectives explained that the fall he described would not result in the severe injuries that the baby sustained.

Details of the incident

Court filings went on to say White told police he dropped the baby while standing and playing video games. He said the baby squirmed and fell "hard to the floor." Detectives confronted White directly, per the complaint, asking him: "Did you try to put him on the bed, and he hit the wall?" 

Prosecutors said White then admitted he threw the baby against the wall while playing video games. He said he had been holding the baby to "keep him chill for a little bit," but the baby was getting heavy so he threw the baby against the wall and onto the bed. The baby hit the wall roughly a foot above the bed before landing face first on the bed.

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The complaint said detectives told White that they would confirm with medical professionals whether his explanation of throwing the baby against the wall would account for the severity of the baby’s injuries. In response, White said: "He hit his head hard on the wall, bro. I swear he hit his head hard on the wall," and "I heard the wall, it was hard on his head. It was hard. It was a loud hard wall."

White said he was playing NBA 2K and the game was competitive, according to court filings. He was down two points in the fourth quarter of the game and became frustrated while holding the baby, ultimately throwing the baby against the wall.