Teen arrested with AK-47 in Times Square says he was confused about NYC’s gun laws

Lawyer argues conceivable that teen might not understand complexities of all these laws

The lawyer for an Ohio teenager caught with an AK-47 in a Times Square subway station has argued that her client was confused about New York’s gun laws.

That argument was rejected by a Manhattan judge on Sunday, who ordered that 18-year-old Saadiq Teague should remain in custody until his next court date.

“This is an extremely serious case. The case is up to 15 years in prison,” said Judge Melissa Jackson, who also rejected a request from prosecutors that bail be set at $25,000.

Mr Teague was arrested at lunchtime on Friday near the turnstiles on the mezzanine level of the A, C and E line station in Times Square by police officers on a routine patrol.

He allegedly had the unloaded weapon out next to him in plain sight, and a fully loaded magazine of ammunition in his backpack, as well as a gas mask, according to reporting by The New York Post.

The paper cites a high-ranking police source as saying that Mr Teague told officers that he believed carrying an unloaded rifle with ammunition stored separately was legal in New York City.

Mr Teague’s lawyer, Jacqueline Phipps, argues that her client was naive about local firearm laws.

“It’s conceivable that a teenager might not understand the complexities of all these laws and the differences in most states and the ways in which laws in all the states coincide,” she said.

Ms Phipps also cited the lack of any evidence or indication from prosecutors that her client intended to use the weapon.

“I am 100 per cent sure that if there is any evidence indicating that, the District Attorney’s Office would have presented it,” she said.

Mr Teague lives in Columbus, Ohio with his mother and siblings and has no previous criminal record.

He now faces charges including two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, two counts of criminal possession in the third degree, and one count of criminal use of drug paraphernalia.

It is yet to be established why he was in New York with the assault weapon. Earlier on Friday, prior to his arrest, he posted several rants about the city and the subway system to his Instagram story, including the statement: “F*** New York!”

The recent high school graduate, who was working as a waiter before the pandemic and aspires to be a mechanic, spoke softly and politely in court.

Ms Phipps said that his mother was very emotional as he means a lot to her and she relies on him to help take care of his brother, who has a degenerative neurological disorder. She also said that his mother would accompany him back to New York for future court appearances.

The lawyer also argued that by setting bail Mr Teague would be stuck in jail due to an inability to afford to cover any amount.

On the prosecution side, Assistant District Attorney Ricky Shah asked for bail based on the seriousness of the circumstances and his out-of-state residence.

Rejecting the request for bail, Judge Jackson nevertheless ruled that Mr Teague should remain in custody until his 22 April court date, citing the lack of any explanation as to why he had the weapon inside the subway, and noting a shell casing was found at the scene.

She added that if Mr Teague were to return to Ohio, there was no guarantee he would come back to New York to appear in court.

Earlier reporting revealed that Mr Teague’s father Andrew was shot dead by police on 3 March in Columbus.

Officers were attempting to arrest the elder Mr Teague on a felony assault warrant when he fled, leading to an hour-long chase that ended when he exited his vehicle, exchanged gunfire with the police, and was fatally shot.