A 29-year-old who used a BB gun to threaten another man has been sentenced to a year in jail.

Arthur Richardson, a transient, was sentenced on Wednesday.

He'd pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault. Prosecutors had lowered the charge from felony threats and dropped a felony charge of strangulation, in return for Richardson's plea.

Police say Richardson was walking with another man on Nov. 29 when the other man made a comment that upset Richardson.

Police say Richardson pulled out what looked like a handgun and pointed it at the man's face.

The man and another struggled with Richardson for control of the weapon, but he fended them off and left.

The weapon turned out to be a BB gun.