Sunny Hostin, co-host of “The View,” urged police to reconsider their actions after officers stopped her son for trespassing. Her son, Gabriel Hostin, was stopped on Metro-North railroad property. She emphasized her background as a former federal prosecutor in attempts to sway the officers, as seen in newly released body camera footage.
Hostin addressed the officers, explaining, “My name is Sunny Hostin and I’m one of the co-hosts of ‘The View’ and I’m a former federal prosecutor.” She made these statements over the phone, captured in the bodycam video obtained by Fox News Digital.
When she arrived at the scene, she pointed out her son’s unblemished history. “That’s my son. He’s a Harvard graduate. He doesn’t have a criminal record,” she stated. She described the incident as “an innocent mistake.”
Gabriel Hostin faced a stop by Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) police around 8 p.m. on June 16. Officers observed him on the railroad right-of-way at the New Rochelle station. An area clearly marked with “NO TRESPASSING” signs, police alleged he trespassed.
A spokesperson from MTA Police informed Fox News Digital that Gabriel Hostin was running near an electrified third rail. Officers stopped him near Commerce Drive, checked his criminal background, and then escorted him away. As he had no previous criminal record and cooperated, police only issued a summons for trespass.
Bodycam video shows Gabriel questioning the need for a summons. An officer explained, “Because it is an arrestable offense. I want to make that clear,” before noting they reduced it to a trespass violation. The officer added that Gabriel’s clean criminal history played a role in this decision.
Hostin again argued for discretion, noting, “He’s a Harvard grad who teaches fourth-grade geometry to South Bronx kids. It’s an innocent mistake.”
Court documents show Gabriel Hostin will appear in New Rochelle City Court on July 31. Hostin contended her son accidentally entered the property while jogging, mistaking a gravel incline for a suitable training spot. She claimed the entrance gate was accessible, without visible “No Trespassing” signage.
The bodycam video prompted online reactions. Some conservative voices contrasted Hostin’s calls for equal treatment under the law with her attempt to leverage her legal background and her son’s academic achievements during the encounter.
Fox News Digital reached out to Hostin’s team for further comment.