A white man from Ukiah, Calif., who, in June of last year, committed an inconceivable act of cowardly racism by punching an 11-year-old Black boy in the face just for interacting with white children, has been sentenced to 41 months in prison after being convicted of a hate crime.
According to The Bellingham Herald, 43-year-old Paul Jonathan Bittner, who was arrested on June 12, 2024, and charged with second-degree assault of a child and commission of a hate crime, pleaded guilty to both felonies in Whatcom County Superior Court on Tuesday and will spend just under three and a half years behind bars, followed by 18 months in community custody.
Here’s what happened, via the Herald:
According to court records, an 11-year-old boy was walking with a group of fellow students back to school following a field trip to the Pickford Film Center. As the class was walking north on Grand Avenue near the county courthouse, Bittner fell into step with the group and began walking directly in front of the 11-year-old.
The child, who was Black, was talking to a white friend when Bittner, who is also white, turned around and punched him in the face. He caused the child “immense pain,” court documents state, and chipped one of his teeth.
After striking the middle school student, Bittner made a comment about how the child was speaking to a white person. The child told police that he believed the random assault occurred because of his race.
Bittner continued to make racist remarks once detained by officers, according to court records. He repeatedly used the n-word and made references to assaulting Black people.
Paul Bittner initially pleaded not guilty to both of the felonies he was charged with, and his arraignment — which was reportedly so heavily attended that judicial officials were concerned that the legal capacity for the courtroom was being violated — ended in him being found not competent to stand trial. Bittner was sent to Western State Hospital, where, after a five-month stay, he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, “which means he experiences symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder,” the Herald noted.
But, as always, mental illness doesn’t cause or excuse racial hatred, so now that Bitter is showing a “substantially different temperament” than he did at the time of his arrest, according to Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Benjamin Pratt, he’s well enough to be held accountable.
“Acts of violence against people motivated by any aspect of their identity are intolerable, and our police department carefully investigates each incident so it can be handled with justice,” Bellingham Police Department Chief Rebecca Mertzig said in an email Tuesday. “It was thanks to quick work by our officers and community members that we were able to hold the offender accountable.”
As for the victim, a Whatcom Middle School student who hasn’t been named publicly, his family says “he’s in a great place” now that he’s had time to heal from his physical injury and emotional and mental trauma, which are likely ongoing.
“I’m feeling good,” the child’s father, DeVante Blow, told the Herald after Bittner’s sentencing. “I’m feeling as if justice was served and the community is safer.”
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White California Man Who Punched Black Boy For Speaking To White Children Sentenced To 41 Months In Prison
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