A Jewish Republican New York City councilwoman was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm for her own protection when a pro-Hamas rally broke out on a college campus last month.
In the wake of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks against predominately Israeli civilians, Jews around the world, including the United States, have felt personally threatened by vocally anti-Semitic anti-Israel, pro-Hamas protesters.
When a pro-Hamas protest erupted on a college campus, NYC Councilwoman Inna Vernikov carried a firearm in her waistband for protection over fears she could be attacked for being Jewish.
After she was spotted carrying the firearm, she was arrested.
However, the felony charge has now been dropped by the local district attorney, according to TheBlaze.
As it turned out, the handgun that Councilwoman Inna Vernikov was spotted carrying in her waistband during an anti-Israel protest was “inoperable” — at least when turned over to the police.
As such, prosecutors could not support a charge for illegally carrying a dangerous weapon.
On Thursday, October 12, Councilwoman Vernikov was caught on camera as an armed attendee as a counterprotester at an anti-Israel rally on the campus of Brooklyn College.
The police were notified and made contact with her after she left the event that she had attended to help “Jewish students feel safe,” according to WNBC.
About 12 hours later, early Friday morning, Vernikov was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a firearm after she, along with her attorney, turned herself in at a local NYPD precinct.
The councilwoman, who had a valid concealed carry permit, was compelled to surrender both the firearm and the license due to the fact that state law prohibits the carrying of firearms, even by licensed individuals, on school grounds or in sensitive locations like a protest.
According to the New York Post, the felony charge that Councilwoman Vernikov faced has now been dropped by prosecutors due to an inability to prove that the handgun she carried at the protest was “capable of firing bullets.”
Per the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, the handgun that was turned over to the NYPD was found to be unloaded and “inoperable” as it was missing the “recoil spring assembly” that is necessary to make the gun fire a round.
“In order to sustain this charge, it must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the weapon in question was capable of firing bullets,” a spokesperson for the Brooklyn DA’s Office said in a statement.
“Absent such proof, we have no choice but to dismiss these charges.”
The spokesperson added, “Peaceful protest is the right of every American, but bringing a gun to a protest is illegal and creates an unacceptable risk of harm that has no place in our city.”
The Post noted that, in response to the news, the felony gun charge would be dismissed, likely during a court hearing scheduled for Jan. 24, 2024.
The councilwoman’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, said in a statement:
“Councilwoman Vernikov has an outstanding reputation serving her constituency which since her re-election she will continue to do for the next two years.”
“She is pleased to have this all behind her and looks forward to continuing her fight on behalf of all New Yorkers to keep this City the greatest city in the world,” the attorney added.
In a statement of her own, Vernikov said:
“Ever since Hamas has unleashed a massacre on the people of Israel on Oct. 7th, Jewish New Yorkers have been facing an unprecedented rise in hate and violence on our streets and on our college campuses.”
“I will continue to be a fearless fighter against antisemitism and for the public safety of all New Yorkers,” she added.
READ MORE: Pro-Hamas Professor Arrested for Killing Jewish Man Paul Kessler in California
