A Washington state man who illegally fired a shotgun blamed his action on a piece of advice doled out by Vice President Joe Biden earlier this year.

"I did what Joe Biden told me to do," Jeffrey Barton told Washington affiliate KOIN. "I went outside and fired my shotgun in the air."

Barton pleaded not guilty to one count of illegal aiming or discharging a firearm Wednesday after firing a shotgun in the air as he chased away people he thought were trying to break into his car.

In an online town-hall discussion in February, Biden, who was one of the administration's lead speakers on the issue of gun control, offered advice in a hypothetical situation about how to fend off home intruders.

"I said, 'Jill, if there's ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony here, walk out and put that double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house,'" Biden said.

"You don't need an AR-15," he said. "It's harder to aim, it's harder to use, and in fact you don't need 30 rounds to protect yourself."

"Buy a shotgun," he concluded.