A 13-year-old Montana boy was hospitalized with skull fractures after police said a man slammed him to the ground for not removing his hat during the national anthem.
Curt James Brockway, 39, was arrested Saturday at the Mineral County Fair and charged with assault on a minor, USA Today reported, citing a statement from Sheriff Mike Boone.
Taylor Hennick told The Missoulian she was near the entrance of the fair and had just stopped for the national anthem when she heard a "pop."
"There was a little boy lying on the ground," she said. "He was bleeding out of his ears, seizing on the ground, just not coherent."
The boy was taken to a local hospital before being flown to a children's hospital in Washington, Boone said. He suffered temporal skill fractures, and his parents told KPAX-TV the boy bled from his ear for nearly six hours after the incident.
The boy was later released from the hospital and is recovering at home, KPAX-TV reported.
Hennick said she heard Brockway justifying the assault after it happened.
"He said (the boy) was disrespecting the national anthem so he had every right to do that," Hennick said.
Brockway is currently serving a 10-year probation sentence for a 2010 assault with a weapon charge, The Missoulian reported, citing Montana Department of Corrections records.
His arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 14.
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