A middle school student in Bellingham was allegedly attacked because he is black

A school trip at a middle school in Bellingham took a horrific turn. According to police, a sixth-grader was the victim of a hate crime this week.

An 11-year-old boy was punched in the face because of his race.

“An absolute hate crime,” says Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig.

According to court documents, 42-year-old Paul Jonathan Bittner approached a group of sixth-graders walking back to Whatcom Middle School after a field trip.

According to police, Bittner approached a black student, punched him in the face and shoved him. The attack broke the boy’s tooth.

According to witnesses, Bittner, who is white, yelled at the student and then ran away: “Are you going to talk to a white man like that?”

“This gentleman attacked a child for no reason because of his race,” said Police Chief Mertzig, who told KIRO 7 that she was angry and heartbroken when she learned of the attack.

The incident occurred near the Bellingham Police Department. Police say a teacher chased the suspect before he was arrested by police.

Police Chief Mertzig said the suspect continued to make racist remarks even after his arrest.

Bittner was arraigned on Thursday afternoon on charges of assault on a minor and malicious harassment, a hate crime. His bail was set at $500,000.

Chief Mertzig tells KIRO 7: “There is no place for hate in Bellingham.”

“Our community is very inclusive and this is something we will not tolerate,” says Chief Mertzig.