A Queens man by the name of Jack Pawlowski was arrested on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 for firing a toy gun that resembled a real weapon and then handed it to his three year old son and other family members to play with. Apparently some people at Ditmar’s Park thought the gun was real. Maria Smilios of Astoria told CBS that Pawlowski pulled out the gun, which she saw up close and thought was real. Smilios showed CBS a cell phone photo showing Pawlowski firing pellets at a tree. She said he handed the gun to his three year old son and then also gave the gun to his daughter, who took off on her bike around the park pointing it at children. Another witness, Leni Calas called police and posted a cell phone photo of Pawlowski on her website to publicly shame him for playing with the toy gun.
Police arrested and charged Pawlowski with reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a minor, resisting arrest, and possession of an illegal BB gun. Pawlowski’s family called the incident an over-reaction to the toy gun. Pawlowski’s wife told CBS that “her husband was sorry and it would never happen again.” BB guns are outlawed in New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco and other cities around the country.
NEW YORK SAFE ACT LAW
New York has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation. You must obtain a firearm’s permit to own a gun. Mayor Bloomberg has led a campaign to keep guns off the streets of New York City. New York passed the NY Safe Act, which prevents criminals and dangerously mentally ill persons from buying a gun by requiring a universal gun check on all gun purchases. The Act also increase the penalties for persons who use illegal guns and mandates life in prison sentences without the possibility of parole for anyone who murders a first responder, as well containing the strictest assault weapons ban in the nation.
HIRING A NEW YORK GUN ATTORNEY TO DEFEND YOU
If you are found in possession of a firearm without a permit, you could be charged with either a misdemeanor or felony offense. In order to fight the charges effectively, it is necessary to hire an experienced NYC gun attorney to defend you. Our firm will investigate all the charges against you, talk to witnesses and make sure that your constitutional rights have not been violated. We will try to negotiate a resolution of your charges with the prosecutor, including getting the charges reduced to a lesser crime, community service or probation or get the charges dropped.
