SUPERIOR, Mont. — Authorities have charged a Montana man with assault of a minor for allegedly slamming a child to the ground during the national anthem at a county fair.
Witnesses say Curt Brockway grabbed, picked up and slammed the boy on the ground at the Mineral County Fair because he did not remove his hat during the national anthem.
The parents say the child was bleeding from his ear for nearly six hours after the incident.
The 13-year-old boy suffered temporal skull fractures from the incident. He was flown to Spokane, Washington for medical care.
“It’s just a lot of pain in my head. I don’t remember anything – the rodeo – the helicopter – nothing,” the boy said. His identity has been withheld because he is a minor.
The boy has been released from the hospital and is back home where he will continue healing, according to the parents.
Brockway was arrested on Saturday night and made his initial court appearance on Monday in Mineral County.
The state requested a $100,000 bond for Brockway. However, the judge ruled Brockway released on his own recognizance. Brockway had not been released as of 5 p.m. local time on Monday.
Brockway pleaded guilty to an assault with a weapon charge that occurred in 2011.
This story was originally published by Kent Luetzen on KPAX in Missoula, Montana.
