SEATTLE — A federal hate crime charge has been filed against a man accused of shouting anti-gay slurs as he threatened to stab a man in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.
According to documents unsealed Wednesday, Troy Deacon Burns faces a single hate crime count, a charge that can carry up to 10 years in prison. He was arrested by Seattle police early Jan. 25 after a group of three men reported that he had menaced and chased them with a knife.
Prosecutors initially filed a sealed complaint against Burns on July 29. It was unsealed Wednesday, and a new charge was filed by information, which typically indicates that a plea deal has been reached. Burns was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court Wednesday afternoon. Burns’ attorney did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Seattle U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes says the federal prosecution demonstrates her office’s commitment to protecting all western Washington residents from bias-motivated attacks.
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