New York City Council Member Vernikov arrested for gun possession after rally

NEW YORK — City Council Member Inna Vernikov was arrested Friday morning on charges of criminal possession of a firearm after being photographed at a rally with a gun visible on her waist.

She turned herself in to NYPD's 70th Precinct in Brooklyn, an NYPD spokesperson told POLITICO, and surrendered her gun license.

Photos posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, show Vernikov with a gun on her hip while counterprotesting a pro-Palestinian rally Thursday afternoon outside Brooklyn College. The NYPD spokesperson said it was a black Smith & Wesson 9 mm.

Vernikov, a Republican, has a concealed carry license, but attorney Ali Najmi said on X that she appeared to be breaking state law by possessing a gun at a protest.

Vernikov is Jewish and has been vocal in support of Israel while claiming the rally would make CUNY campuses unsafe. An NYPD spokesperson told POLITICO early Friday that there had been no arrests or incidents reported related to the protest.

Vernikov didn’t respond to a request for comment, but posted a video from the student protest saying, “If you are here, standing today with these people, you’re nothing short of a terrorist without the bombs.”

New York City politicians carrying guns is exceedingly rare, and New York City has strict gun laws. State Sen. Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn) said on X: “There is no excuse, none whatsoever, for an elected official to bring a firearm to a college campus in New York.”

Criminal possession of a firearm is a class E felony. But it’s highly unlikely that Vernikov will end up spending any time in jail, given that it is a low-level, non-violent felony.

An NYPD spokesperson said Vernikov received a desk appearance ticket. It wasn’t immediately clear when she will be due in court for arraignment, but defendants usually are given about three weeks, a person familiar with the court system told POLITICO.

That raised the eyebrows of a former public defender.

“This shit is wild,” Democratic City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán told POLITICO. “As public defender, I’ve represented over 1,000 clients, and I’ve witnessed my colleagues represent tens of thousands. And I’ve never once seen a desk appearance issued on a gun possession case. Not once.”

Usually, the defendant would be processed and arraigned immediately at the courthouse.

City Councilmember Joe Borelli, the Republican minority leader, said that, “Gun owners have a responsibility, and I’m sure she’ll address the charges and fight them in court. I’m confident that she feels terrible about the incident.”

Vernikov was an ardent supporter of Republican Lee Zeldin in the race for governor last year.

After Vernikov’s arrest, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul linked to the POLITICO story on X, adding: “New York's gun safety laws apply to everyone."