A Montana man was charged with assaulting a 13-year-old boy because he was “disrespecting the national anthem,” USA Today reports.
Curt James Brockway, 39, was arrested Saturday at the Mineral County Fair after he slammed the boy to the ground because he did not take off his hat during the national anthem.
Witness Taylor Hennick told The Missoulian that Brockway declared he “had every right to do that” because the boy was being disrespectful.
"There was a little boy lying on the ground," she told the outlet. "He was bleeding out of his ears, seizing on the ground, just not coherent."
Boy suffered skull fractures:
The boy was airlifted to a hospital in Spokane, Washington. The boy’s parents to KPAX that his ears continued to bleed for nearly six hours after the brutal attack.
The boy was treated for temporal skull fractures and has since been released from the hospital.
Brockway is a convicted felon:
Brockway is a registered violent offender who was convicted in 2010 for assault with a weapon. He was given a 10-year suspended sentence in that case.
Brockway will be arraigned in Mineral County Justice Court on August 14.
Prosecutors have recommended his bail be set at $100,000 while his attorney will ask for a judge to release him without posting bond.
