Boy, 8, falls off carnival ride operated by man under the influence, police say

WACO, Texas (KWTX/Gray News) - Police say a Texas man was arrested after an 8-year-old boy fell about 10 feet from a carnival ride the man was operating while allegedly under the influence.

Police received a call around 8 p.m. Saturday that a child had fallen from a carnival ride at the Extraco Events Center in Waco. When officers arrived, they found the 8-year-old boy and treated him on scene before he was taken to the hospital, KWTX reports.

The ride operator, 38-year-old Cody James Harkness, was arrested after police say they tested him and determined he was under the influence of “some type of drug or combination of drugs.”

According to an arrest affidavit, the boy had one of his “ears sliced open from top to bottom.” He was taken to a Waco hospital before being transferred to a Temple hospital, “where it was preliminarily determined it would require surgery by a pediatric plastic surgeon for repair,” the affidavit states.

Police say they are unable to say what caused the 8-year-old to fall off the carnival ride but did say it was a direct result of Harkness’ alleged impairment and actions.

Harkness is charged with intoxicated assault while operating a ride, a third-degree felony. He is being held in the McLennan County Jail under a $125,000 bond.

The suspect has two prior convictions for drug possession and one for drunken driving, according to the affidavit.