42-Year-Old White Man Charged With Hate Crime After Assault On 11-Year-Old Black Child In Washington State

Paul Bittner, 42, was charged with a hate crime and assault after he allegedly struck a Black 11-year-old child in the face during a field trip. A group of students from Whatcom Middle School were walking back to campus when the white man approached the boy and punched him in his face, chipping his tooth in the process, KOMO News reported.

Officers who investigated the incident said they have never witnessed anything like this before. Bellingham Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig told the outlet, “These set of circumstances is extremely rare, in fact in my 20 years of doing this job, I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s not conducive to our community, it’s absolutely disgusting, and we don’t see that very often at all.”

The police report indicates that the man also pushed the child and made a statement that amounted to “Are you gonna talk to a white man like that?”

Court documents state that it is currently unknown whether the man was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when he was placed under arrest. The incident was captured by surveillance video and a teacher followed the man until officers arrived on the scene. Those officers, according to KOMO News, heard the man continue to use racial epithets as he was arrested. 

Some parents, like Ryan Ferris, whose son was on the trip as well, hope something positive will come out of the incident. Ferris told KOMO News, “It’s just a terrible thing, I hope he recovers, I hope the community recovers. I think there will probably be some lessons to be learned from it.”

Bellingham Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Greg Baker released a statement condemning the racism involved in the attack.

“Bellingham Public Schools is absolutely opposed to anti-Black racism, and racism in all forms,” Dr. Baker said. “Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is not just a statement but a promise to all students. We recognize that racism is deeply rooted and affects our systems and the lives of many individuals and families in profound ways. It is a collective responsibility to address and dismantle these injustices.”

The community rallied behind the family of the victim at Bittner’s bail hearing. The father of the victim was supported by over 30 community members, including Kristina Michele Martens, the co-founder of the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission.

Martens told the outlet, “We have all been through it, we know what they’re going through. At its heart, we just want it to stop, I think that showing up and letting other people know, when you pick on one, you pick on all.”

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