Gun charge dropped against D.C. man who shot pit bull attacking child Srigley legally bought the handgun in Virginia but failed to register it in the District. His act of saving a child's life exposed him as a criminal, and as unwitting fodder for gun-rights advocates who saw his case a perfect example of why they assail as draconian the District's laws that make owning guns exceedingly difficult. Srigley's action left the D.C. attorney general's office, which typically prosecutes gun offenses involving unregistered firearms, with a conundrum: criminally charge and possibly jail a man deemed a hero in his Brightwood neighborhood, or leave him be and endure criticism that some of the strictest gun laws in the nation are not evenly enforced. Deputy Attorney General Andrew Fois called it a "one in 10 million case" in which authorities "tried to balance what he did, the law that he broke, the circumstances under which he broke it and what he did to help the boy." Fois's team offered Srigley a deal in May to spare him jail. First, he would pay a $1,000 fine. Then, after a planned move to Maryland, he would register his handgun and two long guns he had in storage. Lastly, he would stay out of trouble for two months. In return, a charge of possessing an unregistered firearm would be deferred until July. On Tuesday, the conditions met, D.C. Superior Court Michael J. McCarthy accepted the prosecutor's motion to dismiss the charge. Srigley can now petition to have the arrest expunged. "We don't want people to not help," Fois said, explaining that the unique circumstances of Srigley's case prompted much discussion in his office. But when you break the gun laws, it's not something we can turn a blind eye to. He made amends by paying a decent fine, and he registered his guns, and he moved out of town. The laws of the District of Columbia are vindicated, while recognizing the unique contribution he made saving a young boy's life. Srigley, 39, runs a home remodeling company and recently got married. He had little time or inclination to become an advocate for either side in the gun debate raging around the country and in the District, even with attempts to use his case as an example of firearm laws run amok. Srigley has not spoken publicly about his ordeal, and he chose to stay quiet after the case was dismissed Tuesday. His attorney, Danny C. Onorato, a former federal prosecutor who took the case for free, said his client's only position is that he is "grateful he was able to save the life of a child. He is not commenting on society's gun laws. Onorato said Srigley "regrets that he violated the law but he's happy he had a gun that day. He does not want to be a poster child for gun advocacy.