Man arrested for hate crime at Irv’s bar
A man was arrested for a hate crime Monday for allegedly throwing a glass at a downtown Spokane bartender and yelling slurs against homosexuals.
Two customers at Irv’s bar held Sean D. Slechta, 38, on the ground until officers arrived to arrest him, Spokane police say.
Slechta remains jailed on $1,000 bond after appearing in Superior Court on a malicious harassment charge. Irv's bartender told police Slechta stumbled into the bar about 7 p.m. and tired to take customers’ drinks, so he asked him to leave.
The bartender told police Slechta yelled profanities and homophobic slurs at him and customers, then picked up an empty pint glass and threw it at him. The bartender was not injured.
Police said Slechta continued to yell homophobic slurs as he was led from the bar in handcuffs.
The hate crime charge alleges Slechta attacked the bartender and the patrons because of their sexual orientation.