It appears that the police officer may have tried to cut him some slack (or possibly needs re-training himself). The initial citation said the weapon was unloaded. That wasn't true and the police issued a statement saying the citation will be corrected.

Curiously, the penalties for a loaded gun are much stiffer than for an unloaded weapon, Perhaps the officer was rushed or unfamiliar with the type of firearm and just didn't realize it was loaded. I'm sure that happens all the time, particularly during professional investigations.