A Taiwanese appeals court cut a gunman's attempted-murder sentence to eight years after he paid settlements to the officers he shot at, a modest break for the defendant and a mixed signal for police safety.

• A man in Pingtung fired three shots through his front door as police broke in with a search warrant in 2023; no one was hit.
• He had bought a submachine gun, a handgun, and ammunition from black-market sellers months earlier.
• The lower court gave him nearly ten years for attempted murder; the Kaohsiung branch of the High Court trimmed it to eight after he admitted guilt and paid the three officers.
• His separate sentence for illegal weapons possession stood, with the court calling his stash a small arsenal that would have endangered public safety if sold on.

Outlook: The ruling can still be appealed, so the sentence is not final.