WASHINGTON (AP) — A man who pleaded guilty to pistol-whipping a transgender woman in a convenience store in Washington has been sentenced to 28 months in prison.

Thirty-six-year-old Michael Phillips of Fairmount Heights, Maryland, was sentenced Monday in Superior Court in the District. He had pleaded guilty in March to assault with a dangerous weapon, a charge that included a hate crime enhancement.

According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 27, Phillips encountered the victim and her friends in a store on Eastern Avenue NE. Prosecutors say Phillips made derogatory remarks about the victim’s gender identity.

Authorities say an argument ensued, and Phillips pulled a handgun from his pocket and struck the victim in the face with the weapon several times.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.