A former Self-Defense Forces member was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for possession of a handgun in violation of the Guns and Swords Control Law.
The Akita District Court handed down the term to Shuji Takino, 47, of no fixed abode.
Takino was found in possession of a pistol loaded with eight rounds of ammunition on the first floor of the Akita Police Station on the morning of May 17, the court said.
When police tried to take the gun away, Takino resisted and accidentally fired a shot, breaking a window, the court was told.
The defendant had possessed the gun for about 10 years, which he obtained from a criminal gang for which he was working as a chauffeur after quitting the SDF, according to the court.