Eugene judge frees man who threatened mosque worshippers

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – A man who threatened worshippers at a Eugene mosque has been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of intimidation and harassment.
 
Lane County Judge Maurice Merten also sentenced Chad Russell to 60 days in jail. Because Russell has been behind bars for the past 2 ½ months, he will be released from custody.
 
Russell was arrested in May after police said he verbally threatened to kill worshippers at the Eugene Islamic Center and then shouted racial slurs at a man in Monroe Park.
 
His public defender, Allison Knight, told The Register-Guard (http://bit.ly/2vJo4eZ ) that her client suffers from brain damage and does not hold anti-Muslim beliefs.
 
The Oregon committee of the Council on American-Islamic Relations released a statement criticizing Friday’s sentence as too lenient.