A Bremerton man sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for terrorizing a group of gay men on Capital Hill in January has a history of drug dealing.
Troy Deacon Burns, 38, pleaded guilty in August for violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Here is a summary of the incident, from a statement issued Monday by the U.S. Department of Justice:
“Burns admitted in his plea agreement that he came up behind the three men and shouted homophobic slurs. Burns then raised a knife over his head in a stabbing position. Fearing for their safety, the men started running. As Burns caught up to one of the men, he again used a slur and attempted to stab the man. One of the other men was able to pull his friend away from Burns. The third man located Seattle police officers who took Burns into custody. While detained in the police car, Burns continued to yell homophobic slurs. During the plea hearing, Burns said he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the assault and claimed that he does not remember his actions.”
Burns has convictions in Kitsap Superior Court for violation of the uniform controlled substance act from when he was caught in 2009 selling cocaine in the East Bremerton Fred Meyer’s parking lot to a police informant. He also was caught with about 2/3 of a pound of marijuana in 2007. He also has a juvenile court conviction from 1994 for stealing a car, according to court records.
What a sad man.