A Portland man has agreed to participate in a restorative justice resolution instead of facing jail time for attacking an Asian American man in December 2020.
Daniel Hutchens, 38, pleaded guilty to a bias crime for assaulting an Asian American man at a Portland MAX stop last year, according to Oregon Live.
He allegedly approached the victim and asked if he was Chinese before punching him in the face. Hutchens fled the scene after the attack.
The suspect, who had already spent 100 days in custody, was sentenced to 90 days in prison during his hearing on March 30.
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The victim, who did not wish to be identified, requested to find a resolution that does not add jail time for Hutchens, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said, according to KATU.
In a statement, District Attorney Mike Schmidt said Hutchens is now taking responsibility for his inexcusable actions and is willing to “make amends to our community and specifically the Asian American community and to approach his rehabilitation seriously.”
“We sincerely appreciate and respect the victim’s wishes to find an alternative sentence to this case that doesn’t involve more jail time,” Schmidt added. “The recent increase in hatred, intolerance, and bigotry against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is appalling. Our office stands with our AAPI community members and we support them fully.”
Restorative justice is a resolution that holds offenders accountable for their actions through education and dialogue with the community. The goal is to have the victims’ needs addressed and to integrate these offenders into the community as “positive, contributing citizens.”
“Racially motivated violence will not be tolerated at any time, but education through accountability is one of the first steps we, as a city, can take towards resolving these injustices,” the Oregon Chinese Coalition said in a statement.
In addition to restorative justice, Hutchens will be on probation for three years and undergo drug, alcohol, and mental health evaluations. During his probationary period, Hutchens will not be allowed to establish contact with the victim.
Feature Image via Multnomah County Sherriff’s Office (left), KATU2 (right)
