A Hong Kong court has dropped a firearms charge against an American politician, one week after he was arrested for carrying a gun into the city in his carry-on bag. Washington state senator Jeff Wilson said he did not realize his pistol was in his briefcase while he and his wife were traveling for a five-week vacation in Asia. "This was a mistake on my part, and I regret it," he said in a statement released on Monday. "I packed quickly and failed to check the contents of my briefcase. Over the Pacific, I reached into my briefcase for gum and felt my gun instead. My heart sank. I understood immediately what had happened." Hong Kong has strict gun control laws. No one is allowed to possess any arms or ammunition unless they have a police license. In court, the magistrate said Wilson "should have known Chinese and Hong Kong laws are very strict" since Wilson was a trade delegate and traveled frequently to the region. Wilson says he is happy to see the matter resolved and is looking forward to resuming his vacation with his wife. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout reports.
27 авг 2024
