(PartiallyPolitics.com) – On Friday, a spokesperson for Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez’s office stated that the gun possession charge against an NYC council member would be dropped as it could not be proven whether or not the gun could be fired.
As the spokesperson pointed out in an emailed statement. Every American has the right to peaceful protest, however, there are many dangers related to carrying a gun to a protest illegally. As they pointed out this brings on “unacceptable risk of harm” for the city.
Republican Inna Vernikov was first arrested in October for having brought with her a gun during a counter-protest in Brooklyn against the pro-Palestine peace rally. The police ended up charging her with criminal possession of a firearm as it is specified in the state gun laws that carrying a firearm during a protest was illegal.
Following the protest police had contacted Vernikov to inform her that she was caught on video with a firearm. The New York Police Department reported that Vernikov had turned herself in, and was arrested and charged. She also had to surrender both her permit license and firearm.
Gonzalez’s office spokesperson noted that the firearm that the NYPD had recovered was unloaded and did not have the recoil spring assembly which means that it was not operational. As they pointed out, part of this case would require them proving that the weapon could fire bullets, which they would not be able to prove, hence the charges needed to be dropped.
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