Ulsan court sentences man to 8 years for attempted murder with police handgun

A man in his 50s has been sentenced to eight years in prison by the Ulsan District Court for attempted murder and attempted special robbery. The sentencing follows a violent incident in April where the defendant attempted to rob a female pedestrian at knifepoint.

During a subsequent struggle with a police officer attempting to apprehend him, the defendant's resistance caused a service handgun to fall from the officer's holster. The defendant seized the weapon and pulled the trigger while aiming at the officer. No shots were fired because the handgun's safety mechanism prevented the discharge.

The court rejected the defendant's claim that he had picked up the gun with the intent to commit suicide, labeling the excuse as implausible given the circumstances of the struggle. The judge noted the defendant's lack of remorse and his history of prior offenses, including robbery and sexual crimes, emphasizing the severe danger posed to the officer's life.