US denies liability after boy is sprayed by its cyanide trap

The U.S. government says a Pocatello family is to blame for any injuries it alleges a boy received after he was doused with cyanide by a predator-killing trap that a federal worker mistakenly placed near their home.

The U.S. Department of Justice says in documents filed Monday in U.S. District Court that any injuries were caused by the negligence of the parents and child, and the family’s lawsuit should be dismissed.

Mark and Theresa Mansfield of Pocatello sued in June seeking more than $150,000 in damages.

They say their son, Canyon Mansfield, was playing with his dog last year when the then-14-year-old triggered the trap that the U.S. Department of Agriculture placed to kill coyotes.

The dog named Casey died.

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