A 65-year-old white man who threatened to shoot a 14-year-old African American boy who rode his bicycle in front of the man’s Gresham home was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation and anger management or diversity-sensitivity training.

Michael James Black went to trial earlier this month before Multnomah County Circuit Judge Steffan Alexander, who found him found guilty of menacing and second-degree intimidation, which is a hate crime.

Michael James Black (Multnomah County Sheriff's Office)

Black had been sitting in a lawn chair in his garage when the teen rode within about 50 feet of him, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. Black told the boy he was on private property and yelled a racist slur at him, prosecutors said.

When the boy brushed off Black’s statement, Black yelled: “I’ll blow your head off,” according to the District Attorney’s Office. Black went inside his home, prompting the boy to rush home out of fear the man was going to come out with a gun.

The 14-year-old had been heading home from school with two friends after basketball practice and riding ahead of them, then circling his bike around as he waited for them to catch up, according to the DA’s Office and a probable cause affidavit. It was about 7:30 p.m. last May 10, when he pulled into what he thought was a public cul-de-sac just off Northeast Glisan Street in the 19000 block, according to the District Attorney’s Office and affidavit.

Police who later responded said there were two “no trespassing” signs on the cul-de-sac, but “they were not visible from the street,” according to an affidavit.

As part of his sentence, Black also must write an apology letter to the teenager, complete 150 hours of community service and refrain from possessing weapons. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Black apologized during his sentencing hearing to the teenager’s mother, who talked about how the crime had affected her son, family and community.

Deputy District Attorney BJ Park said in a news release that Black threatened to shoot the boy and his friends "simply because they walked by his house and he didn’t like that and because of the victim’s race.”

“This crime occurred because of the prejudicial and racist assumptions Mr. Black made because of the victim’s race,” Park said.

Black’s defense attorney couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Friday.

-- Aimee Green

agreen@oregonian.com

o_aimee

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