Bentley senior faces racial assault charge

Bentley senior faces racial assault charge

By Marie Szaniszlo  |   Thursday, April 14, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

A Bentley University senior was released yesterday on $2,000 bail after he was arrested on charges of beating a deaf black man and punching a pregnant woman while allegedly assailing the victims with racial epithets.

Timothy Schmitt, 22, of Hingham was ordered to remain under house arrest pending a May 17 hearing at Waltham District Court.

According to a police report, Schmitt got into the altercation at about 2 a.m. on April 8 when he accused the deaf man and two friends, who were walking to the Waltham police station to report a stolen car, of “following” him and a companion.

When one of the three explained they were headed to the station, Schmitt told him to shut up and used a racial slur, police said. Then he allegedly punched the deaf man, ran after him, pulled him to the ground and kicked him in the face.

He then allegedly told the second victim, “Look at what I did to your (racial slur) friend,” and punched her in the face.

The woman told Schmitt she was pregnant and shouted at him to stop, police said, and as police arrived, he and his friend took off. When cops caught up with them, Schmitt allegedly had a bloody lip, bloody knuckles and blood splatter on his shoes.

Schmitt faces charges including aggravated assault and battery and civil rights violation with injury.

His lawyer, Francis P. Craig, said Schmitt “did not strike first, but he responded when attacked” by the two men.

Craig said his client denies saying anything racist or hitting the woman.

“They’re the aggressors, not my guy,” he said, noting Schmitt’s bloody lip.

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