‘Angry and shocked’: Cops say man attacked middle school student on field trip because he’s black

• Paul Jonathan Bittner allegedly punched a black child in front of a police station
• He allegedly told the sixth grader, “Are you going to talk to a white man like that?”
• Bittner was placed on $500,000 bail

A white Washington man was arrested and placed on $500,000 bail after allegedly targeting a black sixth-grade student who was walking with his friends on a school trip.

Paul Jonathan Bittner, 42, was arrested and charged with malicious harassment and second-degree assault of a child, after allegedly punching the boy in the face outside a police station in Bellingham, Washington, on Wednesday, June 12.

Bittner allegedly pushed the young boy, whose identity was not revealed, before asking him: “Are you going to talk like that to a white man?”

He then hit the child, leaving him with a chipped tooth. Local media reported that he “regularly” uttered new racist insults during his arrest.

Prosecutors reportedly asked for bail to be set at $1 million, but Superior Court Commissioner Pro Tem Daniel McGreevy set it at $500,000 during Bittner’s first appearance Thursday afternoon.

Dozens of people packed the small courtroom, including family members of the attacked boy as well as members of the county’s Racial Equity Commission.

Also present were the city’s mayor, Kim Lund, and police chief, Rebecca Mertzig, who added in a video posted on Facebook:

“Hate is not welcome here in Bellingham. We urge you to look out for your neighbors, and we have systems in place to report and investigate hate crimes and bias-based incidents.

The boy’s school, which sent him and the rest of the class on a trip to the Pickford Film Centre, did not reveal the full extent of the boy’s horrific injuries, but confirmed there were a “racial” element in the alleged attack.

Mischelle Darragh, principal of Whatcom Middle School, said in a statement: “We are angry and shocked by what happened today. These events are extremely upsetting for everyone at our school and beyond.

“We surround ourselves with our students and do everything we can to support them.”

The school district added in a statement: “Bellingham Public Schools is absolutely opposed to anti-black racism and racism in all its forms. 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 profoundly affects our systems and the lives of many individuals and families. It is a collective responsibility to address and dismantle these injustices.