Released Body Cam Footage Shows ‘The View’ Co-host

By
Gregory McMullen
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Sunny Hostin has frequently spoken on “The View” about criminal justice, policing, and equal treatment under the law. Now, after her son was cited for trespassing near active railroad tracks, critics are questioning whether her response is consistent with those public positions.

The controversy stems from body-camera footage obtained by the New York Post showing Hostin arriving after her 24-year-old son, Gabriel Hostin, was detained by Metropolitan Transportation Authority police in New Rochelle, New York.

According to police, Gabriel Hostin had entered an area near the Metro-North Railroad tracks marked with no-trespassing signs. Court records and the body-camera footage indicate officers observed him on the railroad right-of-way before stopping him.

Gabriel told officers he had been out running and entered the area after seeing an open gate near the tracks.


When Sunny Hostin arrived, she immediately identified herself to officers.

“My name is Sunny Hostin and I’m one of the co-hosts of ‘The View’ and I’m a former federal prosecutor,” she said.

Hostin also emphasized her son’s background, telling officers, “That’s my son. He’s a Harvard graduate, he doesn’t have a criminal record.”

She continued by highlighting his work as a teacher.

“He’s a Harvard grad who teaches 4th grade geometry to South Bronx kids,” Hostin said. “He’s not a kid who’s ever in trouble. It’s an innocent mistake.”

The officers acknowledged that Gabriel Hostin had been cooperative throughout the encounter and noted that he did not appear to have a criminal background. Nevertheless, they explained that the law required them to take enforcement action.


One officer told him plainly that entering the railroad right-of-way constituted an arrestable offense.

“I want to make that clear, okay? Where you were on the tracks is an arrestable offense,” the officer said.

The officer added that police were exercising discretion by issuing a lesser trespassing violation rather than pursuing a more serious charge.

“We’re dimming it down to a trespass violation because you were in the right-of-way, you weren’t in the gauge or anything, which is the middle area where the tracks were,” the officer explained.

Another officer emphasized that body cameras and department policies limited the officers’ discretion.


“You’ve been very cooperative with us and you have a good background, everything like that. We know you’re not a criminal or anything like that, but our hands are tied with cameras everywhere,” the officer said.

Gabriel Hostin is scheduled to appear in court on July 31.

According to TMZ, Sunny Hostin has since written to Assistant Westchester County District Attorney Amanda Greene requesting that the charge be dismissed. In her letter, Hostin described her son as “an avid runner and former Junior Olympian track athlete” who had been training when the incident occurred.

She argued that dismissing the case would prevent unnecessary consequences for someone she described as having demonstrated exceptional character and posing no danger to the community.

The body-camera footage has generated significant reaction on social media, with many commentators focusing less on the trespassing allegation itself than on Hostin’s decision to invoke her own public profile and her son’s academic accomplishments while speaking with police.


Critics argue that emphasizing professional status, educational credentials, or family background creates the appearance that certain individuals deserve more favorable treatment than others facing similar circumstances. Others have countered that parents commonly advocate for their children during encounters with law enforcement and that pointing to a lack of criminal history is not unusual when requesting leniency.

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