Bert James Baker, who was convicted of misdemeanor assault in last year's stabbing of a Palestinian American man, has been sentenced to one year in jail, according to court documents.
Baker pleaded guilty on Tuesday.
Witnesses told police in February 2024 that Baker screamed racial slurs at a group of friends who were leaving a pro-Palestinian demonstration. The group said Baker attacked them near the UT Austin campus and stabbed then-23-year-old Zacharia Doar in the chest, breaking his rib.
Austin Police recommended the case be prosecuted as a hate crime to the Travis County District Attorney’s office. But a grand jury did not find the case met the criteria. The jury instead handed down an indictment charging Baker with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The 2024 stabbing received national attention, coming after a series of other attacks that seemed to target Palestinian Americans.
