Ethnic Intimidation Charge Dropped Against Lansdale Man as Part of Plea Agreement

Keith Heffintrayer | North Penn Now•

A Lansdale man has been sentenced to probation as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors that saw a felony ethnic intimidation charge dropped in exchange for his plea.

Court records show 39-year-old Shane Durst was sentenced last month to two years’ probation after pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of possessing an instrument of crime. In exchange for his plea, charges of felony ethnic intimidation and misdemeanor counts of simple assault, reckless endangerment, and terroristic threats were dropped, court records show.

Sentencing notes indicate Durst is prohibited from having contact with the victims, he must forfeit any weapons, and he must undergo a mental health evaluation and comply with any recommendations. Durst is eligible for early termination after one year if there are no other violations, and he has remained in custody at the county from the time of his arrest through his sentencing hearing, according to court records.

Lansdale Borough Police were initially dispatched to the Philly Soft Pretzel Factory on July 6, 2023 for a report of an armed subject, with the caller stating that a male was chasing after her. Arriving police encountered the woman, who appeared to be in distress and was pointing towards the nearby alley.

The woman told police she was walking into the pretzel shop when she moved over on the sidewalk to avoid Durst, who reportedly said "you b---h,” police said. After making her purchase and exiting the store, Durst allegedly confronted her, saying "you are a f-----g n----r” and threatened to kill her, according to charging documents.

The woman said she began to put distance between herself and Durst, at which point he allegedly chased her for two blocks down West Main Street while brandishing a broken broomstick with a sharp end, police said. The woman was able to escape and call police, and Durst fled the scene on foot, according to police.

While taking the woman’s statement on scene, a business owner on the same block approached police to say Durst had also threatened him, police said. The business owner said Durst threatened to stab and kill him and advanced towards him outside of his business, at which point they fled inside and called police, according to the complaint.

Police said they located Durst nearby and recovered a four-foot mop handle affixed with a pointed rock on one end that was secured by tape. Police also said they recovered a two-foot copper pipe from Durst’s backpack that had a sharp, pointed piece of wood at the end.

When questioned by police, Durst allegedly said he was just joking and repeatedly apologized.

"[Durst] acted in a manner that terrorized innocent victims who were out in the community,” reads a portion of the affidavit of probable cause. "[The victim] is an African American female, and [Durst’s] threats were made with malicious intent towards the race of an innocent person.”

Police note at the end of the criminal complaint that Durst was arrested in Lansdale one week prior for allegedly threatening a woman at the 7-Eleven on West Main Street, however he was released on unsecured bail following his arrest. A review of court records by this news organization shows Durst was arraigned during the morning of June 30, 2023 in connection with that incident, on charges of terroristic threats, possession of a small amount of marijuana, and related offenses.

Durst was released that same day on $1,000 unsecured bail. Further review of court records shows Durst has been arrested 11 times since 2019, on a mix of low-level summary and misdemeanor charges.