A state judge sentenced a 65-year-old Kakaako man to probation Wednesday for firing two gunshots at a vehicle in an apparent road rage incident on the H-1 freeway in February.

In addition to the five years of probation, Douglas Freeman must pay the other motorist $2,500 in restitution for the damage he caused to his vehicle.

Freeman pleaded guilty in August to carrying a firearm without a permit and to reckless endangering.

He asked Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario Wednesday to defer his guilty pleas, which would give him the opportunity to avoid conviction and eventually clear the charges from his criminal record.

Del Rosario denied the request.

Freeman had been charged with terroristic threatening in addition to the firearm and reckless endangering charges. However, in a plea deal with the state, the prosecutor dropped the threatening charge and reworded the firearm charge to remove a mandatory five-year prison term requirement.

Freeman admitted carrying a pistol on Feb. 24 for protection on his way to the North Shore to camp. He said another motorist tried to force him off the road and he reacted by firing his pistol.

The bullets hit the side of the vehicle. The 23-year-old driver was unharmed.

Honolulu police were able to track down Freeman through the "BIGILN" vanity license plate on his sport utility vehicle.