Nationwide — Paul Jonathan Bittner, a 43-year-old man who punched an African American baby in a racially-motivated assault in Washington, has been sentenced to simply over 3 years in jail after pleading responsible to assault and hate crime expenses.
On June 12, 2024, an 11-year-old boy was strolling again to highschool with classmates after a area journey when Bittner approached him and punched him within the face with out warning.
In response to Individuals, the boy later informed police he believed he was focused due to his race. Witnesses and court docket data confirmed that Bittner made racist feedback after the assault, together with utilizing the n-word and mentioning the kid’s interplay with a White individual.
Bittner was arrested shortly after the incident. In response to court docket paperwork, he continued making racist threats whereas in custody, together with repeated slurs and statements about harming Black folks.
The boy suffered a fractured tooth and a nostril damage. His father, Devante, described the assault as fully unprovoked. “The hardest half about that is that my son was doing nothing. Nothing improper. And was attacked. Attacked due to his pores and skin colour. As a result of he didn’t seem like his attacker,” he mentioned.
Bittner had a documented historical past of psychological sickness. He was identified with schizoaffective dysfunction, bipolar kind, and was initially discovered incompetent to face trial. He was despatched to a hospital for 90 days of remedy earlier than dealing with expenses.
On the trial, the prosecutor famous Bittner appeared calmer following his hospitalization. He was sentenced on Tuesday and stays in custody with bail set at $500,000.
The sufferer’s household continues to be processing the trauma. “I used to be mad, unhappy, confused,” the boy mentioned.
