A judge on Wednesday sentenced a man to five years of probation for firing a gun in June in front of the Town Square Tavern.

In accordance with a plea agreement, Jeff Wunsch, of Jackson, can avoid becoming a convicted felon if he successfully completes the supervised probation. Ninth District Judge Nancy Guthrie agreed to accept but not enter Wunsch’s guilty plea to a felony charge of possession of a deadly weapon.

Wunsch also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor breach of peace and received six months of supervised probation to be served concurrently with his five-year term.

Wunsch posted $5,000 for bail after his arrest June 1.

Wunsch fired a 9 mm pistol into the air after a disagreement over a poker game escalated, according to court records. Wunsch and another man argued over the rules, and the man asked Wunsch if he wanted to take it outside.

Wunsch left the tavern but returned 30 minutes later to tell the man he’d be waiting outside.

In front of the tavern, the two exchanged words and the man punched Wunsch in the face, records say. Wunsch pulled the gun out and pointed it at the other man. He then threatened to kill the man and fired a round over the Town Square park.

Prosecutor Clark Allan said Wunsch’s behavior perplexed him and he struggled with whether the sentence was enough. But Wunsch didn’t have a criminal history, he said.

“I fully expect Mr. Wunsch will be able to handle this situation and do well,” Allan said. “But this is a very serious offense.”

Wunsch offered some explanation of his behavior. He said as the disagreement escalated he thought about two other altercations he heard about last spring, one in which a whiskey bottle was broken over someone’s head and another in which someone was badly beaten.

“When I returned to the bar, the sole reason was to get back in the card game,” he said.

But the other man was still there.

“I didn’t want to drink and drive,” he said. “I felt stuck.”

Guthrie said without the plea agreement, Wunsch would have walked out of her courtroom a convicted felon.

“It would have followed you for the rest of your life,” she said.

She ordered Wunsch not to use alcohol or drugs while on probation. She ordered him to pay a $750 fine on the breach of peace count, $415 in restitution and more than $300 in court fees.