‘Getting the Help He Needs’: Washington Judge Finds White Man Who Allegedly Punched 11-Year-Old Black Boy In the Face In Hate Crime Incompetent to Stand Trial While Victim Awaits Justice

A man who was charged with a hate crime for allegedly disrupting a middle school class field trip to accost a Black boy and start a racist confrontation has been declared incompetent to stand trial. Paul Jonathan Bittner, 42, was charged after the incident on June 12 in Bellingham, Washington. Authorities say Bittner, who is white, started walking alongside a group of students and teachers from Whatcom Middle School who had just finished a field trip in downtown Bellingham. According to court documents, he walked directly in front of the 11-year-old Black student, then suddenly turned around and punched him in the face, chipping the boy’s tooth in the process. Paul Jonathan Bittner makes court appearance (Credit: Tri-City Herald Video Screenshot) He also asked the boy, “Are you going to talk to a white man like that?” the& Tri-City Herald& reported. School staff members immediately separated Bittner from the students. He was arrested shortly after the incident. Bittner was charged with second-degree assault of a child and a hate crime, which accuses him of “maliciously and intentionally” assaulting another person because of the perception of their race. He pleaded not guilty to both felonies at an arraignment in June. In...