BARRE — A South Royalton man has admitted to threatening another man with a gun and to hurling racist slurs at a Vermont State Police trooper of color in separate incidents.
Matthew David Bashaw, 22, pleaded guilty in Washington County criminal court in Barre on Wednesday to misdemeanor counts of stalking, reckless endangerment, criminal threatening, giving false information to law enforcement, unlawful mischief and aggravated disorderly conduct with a hate crime enhancement. Bashaw was sentenced to 30 days to three years, with credit for time served. He was ordered held without bail after his arraignment in late February and is currently housed at Northeast Correctional Complex in St. Johnsbury.
The state agreed to dismiss a felony count of aggravated assault, as well as misdemeanor counts of domestic assault, negligent operation and disorderly conduct, per the plea agreement.
For the stalking, reckless endangerment and criminal threatening convictions, police said on Feb. 18 an incident involving a gun was reported at Green Acres. According to court records, a caller reported Bashaw had pointed a gun at him.
Bashaw’s attorney, Christopher Dall, said at Wednesday’s change of plea hearing his client brandished the gun, but didn’t point it at anyone.
Police said the victim reported Bashaw tried to hit the victim’s vehicle with Bashaw’s vehicle while they were driving to Green Acres from the store. The victim, who was in a relationship with a woman who used to be in a relationship with Bashaw, reported he approached Bashaw to see what was going on and Bashaw drew the gun, according to court records.
Police said Bashaw was later taken into custody where he threatened to carry out a shooting at the police department and at an investigator’s home, and threatened to return to Green Acres and shoot people there.
For the false information, unlawful mischief and aggravated disorderly conduct convictions, Trooper Verdall Cole, of the Vermont State Police, said in his affidavit a crash was reported on Jan. 21 where a truck had ended up in a ditch in Corinth. Cole said the caller reported he lived in a home near where the crash occurred and could hear two of the vehicle’s occupants screaming at each other.
Cole said he arrived on scene and the caller reported the two men involved, which included Bashaw, were “drunker than hell.”
The trooper said Bashaw then approached him and reported the other man had walked up the road for help. He said he could smell alcohol coming off of Bashaw and Bashaw was slurring his words.
Bashaw reported his friend was driving when they crashed into the ditch because the truck had no rear brakes, according to court records.
Cole said Bashaw tried to mislead the investigation into the crash by reporting the driver had walked up the road and then changed his story saying the driver walked the opposite direction, down the road for help.
The trooper said Bashaw was detained while the investigation was underway, and he damaged the back of Cole’s cruiser. He reported Bashaw did about $578 worth of damage by kicking the vehicle’s door out of alignment and breaking the inside door panel.
Cole, who is a person of color, reported while Bashaw was in the cruiser, Bashaw started hurling racial slurs at the trooper. Bashaw repeatedly called the trooper the “n-word,” according to court records.
He said at one point Bashaw said, “I have freedom of speech, I can say whatever I want to you, you (n-word).”
