Man sentenced for homophobic knife attack on three gay victims
Then man yelled homophobic slurs before attacking his victims.
A man who yelled homophobic slurs before chasing three men with a knife through the streets of Seattle was sentenced to 30 months in prison earlier this week.
Troy Deacon Burns pleaded guilty to violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr Hate Crimes Prevention Act back in August.
Burns admitted approaching the men and shouting homophobic slurs while they were walking in the gay-friendly Capitol Hill neighbourhood in January.
He then raised a knife over his head in a stabbing position. The men started running, but Burns caught up to one of the trio before attempting to stab him.
One of the other men was able to pull his friend away from Burns while the third man found a police officers, who took the crazed attacker into custody.
While inside the police vehicle, Burns repeatedly yelled out “faggots.”
According to Justice News, Burns claimed he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time and could not remember his actions.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta said that authorities would continue to protect the rights of Washington’s LGBT community.
“The Department of Justice will continue to vigilantly protect the rights of victims who are targeted simply because of their sexual orientation.
“Six years have passed since the enactment of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and it continues to serve as an important tool for federal law enforcement.”
U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes of the Western District of Washington added that “no one should have to fear attack because of their sexual orientation when they walk down the streets.”
Earlier this week, a man was sentenced for the vicious attack carried out against train attack hero Spencer Stone.
Last month, Stone was rushed to hospital after he was stabbed multiple times while leaving Badlands Dance Club in Sacramento, California.
