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The Hong Kong court dismissed a weapons possession charge against Washington state senator Jeff Wilson on Monday. Wilson was arrested after arriving in China with a firearm, which he described as an “inadvertent error”. The Republican senator admitted to carrying the weapon at the airport on October 21 and has no prior criminal record in Hong Kong. The presiding magistrate approved a restraining order for Wilson instead of a guilty or not guilty plea for possessing an unlicensed firearm in the territory, believing that Wilson was innocent.

The restraining order requires Wilson to maintain good behavior and avoid committing other firearms offenses for two years. He will face a HK$2,000 fine (US$255) if he violates the order. Since the case was resolved without a conviction, the senator is free to leave the territory. According to a statement on his legislative website, the firearm was registered in Washington, though not in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong has stricter gun laws compared to the United States, with individuals convicted of carrying a firearm without a license facing fines of up to HK$100,000 (US$12,800) and up to 14 years in prison. Wilson, who was traveling with his wife for a five-week vacation in Southeast Asia, only realized he had the weapon during his flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong. He had described it as a “terrible accident” to a customs inspector following his arrest. Wilson’s luggage had passed through security in Portland before his layover in San Francisco, as he explained in a previous interview with the inspector.

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