Bellingham police said Paul Bittner, 42, targeted the student because of his race. Bittner is facing charges for a hate crime and assaulting a child, and his bail was set for $500,000.walking back to campus from a field trip when Bittner crossed the street
, right in front of a police station, and punched the student, causing the child's tooth to chip, according to police. According to a police report, Bittner pushed the boy and used racial slurs. The incident was caught on surveillance video at the nearby police station.that in 20 years on the job, she's never seen anything like this case.
“These set of circumstances is extremely rare," she said. "It’s not conducive to our community, it’s absolutely disgusting, and we don’t see that very often at all."came together to show their support for the 11-year-old's family. “We have all been through it, we know what they’re going through," said Kristina Michele Martens of the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission. "At its heart, we just want it to stop. I think that showing up en masse and letting other people know, when you pick on one, you pick on all."