Vancouver man gets 90 days in gun incident

A Vancouver man was sentenced Thursday to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to reduced charges connected with an alleged hate crime involving a gun at Vancouver’s QuarterDeck Bar in March 2013.

Brent W. Luyster, 34, pleaded guilty Thursday to rioting with a weapon. In exchange, Deputy Prosecutor Mike Vaughn dismissed charges of second-degree assault, harassment and racially motivated malicious harassment.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Jeannie Bryant said Vaughn agreed to the reduction because some of the witnesses in the case had changed their stories.

“The witnesses are recanting, but there is enough exposure that he doesn’t want to risk (going to trial),” said Luyster’s attorney, Jeff Sowder.

Luyster was accused of threatening and pointing a pistol at the tavern’s patrons based on their race. Some of his targets were black, according to court documents.

His brother, Robert Luyster, and a friend, Donald H. McElfish, also were charged with crimes related to the confrontation at the bar at 4300 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., but the charges later were dismissed.

The two brothers and McElfish allegedly fled when police arrived at the bar.

Court records indicate that the two brothers are associated with skinhead groups.