Man who chased and shouted racist libel against TriMet worker sentenced to 18 months in prison

A 51-year-old man who chased and shouted racist libel at a Black TriMet supervisor at a southwest Portland transit station last year was sentenced to 18 months in prison for committing a biased crime.

Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced Thomas DeLong’s sentence on Sunday. DeLong pleaded guilty to one count of prejudice, one charge of threat and a second-degree disorderly conduct county stemming from the high-profile incident in 2020.

DeLong initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. He told court officials at the time that he drank “a little too much” and “had no intention of committing a crime,” according to court documents. According to early reports involving the incident, DeLong missed a bus and started chasing the supervisor around the property.

According to the district attorney’s officer, the TriMet employee heard a TriMet driver call for help, and the driver left the Barbur transit station specifically to avoid DeLong.

DeLong was seen hitting the side of the bus. When he spotted the TriMet supervisor, he started screaming and running towards the man while “clenching his fists” and swinging them “in a circular fashion while chasing” the TriMet worker.

DeLong shouted racist slanders as he chased the man, who eventually managed to escape DeLong in a TriMet vehicle until the police arrived

In addition to the 18-month prison sentence, DeLong also faces five years of probation and is prohibited from entering the TriMet property. He was also barred from interacting with the TriMet employee and was required to undergo a mental health assessment related to drugs and alcohol.

– Andrew Theen; [email protected]; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen