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Man who threatened to spread HIV gets probation Monday Mar 26, 2018 at 5:08 PM Mar 26, 2018 at 5:32 PM Mark Freeman Mail Tribune @MTwriterFreeman A homeless Oregon City man who allegedly claimed to be HIV-positive and used a blood-filled syringe while stealing less than $20 of food from a Medford grocery store escaped further jail time Monday. Daniel Scott Hammers, 33, was sentenced Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court to two years’ probation for his guilty plea to a single charge of third-degree robbery. As part of a plea bargain, charges of third-degree theft, harassment, menacing and unlawful use of a weapon — which was identified in court papers as the blood-filled syringe — were dropped. However, he could face jail time in the future if his probation is revoked. Hammers had been banned from the WinCo Foods store on East Barnett Road when he entered it Nov. 21, 2017, stole $18.77 worth of food and was confronted and handcuffed by two store employees, court records state. As they were bringing him back into the store, Hammers began screaming that he had HIV, spit in one employee’s face and threatened to stick them with the blood-filled syringe, records show. He also told a Medford police officer that he had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and was attempting to infect people, a police affidavit stated. Defense attorney Vance Waliser in court called Hammers’ statements “pretty reprehensible threats,” but that he did not have any diseases he could have passed on to potential victims. Waliser declined to discuss the case outside of court. Hammers, who appeared in court via video from the Jackson County Jail, told Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Mejia that he was homeless and a plumber by profession but that he has not worked in a year and a half. “I am truly sorry and trying to do the right thing now,” Hammers said. Mejia also ordered Hammers to steer clear of WinCo and one of the employee-victims. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman.