A 27-year-old man who in November inexplicably threw a Molotov cocktail at a crowd during a downtown Trump protest was sentenced Monday to three years of probation -- and anger management counseling.

While it appeared from initial news reports that Christopher Joseph Gourneau might have been taking part in the Nov. 11 protest of the presidential election of Donald Trump, it became clear during his sentencing hearing that he had actually targeted protesters.

According to Portland police reports, two witnesses said they saw Gourneau throw the flaming device toward the crowd of 30 to 40 people, who were congregated about 1 a.m. near the Thompson elk statue on Southwest Main Street, one block west of the Portland Police Bureau’s Central Precinct.

One witness said the cocktail sailed 5 feet above his head before landing on the ground, without catching any of the nearby people on fire. Another witness told police Gourneau had been acting aggressively toward the people around him, and that Gourneau then took out the cocktail from under his shirt and threw it.

Police in the area didn't witness the event, but they did see a small group of people chasing Gourneau, catching up to him and kicking him, according to police reports.

Gourneau was one of 120 people arrested during six consecutive nights of protests immediately after Trump's election in November. Most criminal charges were dropped, and the district attorney's office said it was focusing on the most violent or disruptive of those arrested.

Deputy District Attorney Steve O’Hagan said Gourneau’s act of throwing the burning cocktail at the crowd could have had “horrific” results, and it's luck that it didn't.

Gourneau declined to make a statement during the hearing or afterward to The Oregonian/OregonLive. His motive for throwing the burning device wasn’t entirely clear. But Monday, Gourneau admitted to intentionally trying to “cause physical injury” with a “dangerous weapon.”

Christopher Gourneau sentenced for Molotov cocktail attack during Trump protest 4 Gallery: Christopher Gourneau sentenced for Molotov cocktail attack during Trump protest

Gourneau pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree assault and unlawful possession of a destructive device. As part of a plea agreement, Multnomah County Circuit Judge Adrienne Nelson sentenced him to a list of conditions -- under the supervision of his probation officer -- including anger management counseling, “emotional management treatment” and drug and alcohol treatment.

He will start out the first part of his three years of probation in the Multnomah County Justice Reinvestment Program. The program is designed to keep defendants out of jail or prison and connect them with drug treatment, housing and other necessities that could help stabilize their lives.

Oregon’s sentencing guidelines recommended that Gourneau be sentenced to close to two years in prison. But the agreement from the district attorney’s office was meant to recognize that Gourneau has substance-abuse addiction problems and hadn't been convicted of any new crimes since he was a young adult. He was convicted of second-degree burglary and attempted second-degree assault when he was 19 and 20. He hadn’t been convicted of any new crimes from then until now -- a seven-year span.

At the time of Gourneau’s arrest, he told authorities he sometimes used cocaine. He also said he had been treated in the past for alcohol abuse.

Defense attorney Alex Cambier said his client has been working almost full time and is working toward making “positive changes to address the issues that were going on at the time” of the incident.

If Gourneau fails to follow the terms of his probation and it's revoked, he could be sentenced to about 2 1/2 to three years in prison.

-- Aimee Green