California lawyer convicted of threatening homeless man with handgun
A California lawyer has been convicted of brandishing a gun during a confrontation with a homeless man outside of his law office earlier this year.
Vincent Gorski, 38, was acquitted of other charges of recklessly discharging a weapon and resisting arrest, the Bakersfield Californian reports.
Sentencing is set for Jan. 15. Gorski could face up to a year in jail.
Gorski was accused of accosting a homeless man outside of his office one night last May. The man told police Gorski ordered him to leave and used racial slurs. He said he refused to leave because he was on a public sidewalk.
Gorski went back inside and came out with a handgun, pointing it at his head and threatening to shoot him, the man said. As he walked away, he said, Gorski fired a single shot into the air.
Police recovered a loaded handgun, a spent shell casing and a video of the incident at the scene.
Kyle J. Humphrey, Gorski’s lawyer, said he found it “sad” that his client was convicted of a crime and may now face disciplinary proceedings for what he described as a “dumb mistake.”
“We can’t keep ruining people for mistakes,” he said. “It’s not like someone was murdered or 10 houses were robbed.”
The State Bar of California is reviewing Gorski’s case, the Californian reports.
