A convicted felon arrested yesterday on assault and weapons possession charges in connection with the shooting of a city police officer pled not guilty Monday at his arraignment.

Edwin Santana, 33, was arraigned on charges of possession of an illegal handgun and assaulting a police officer after the weapon was discharged.

Police say Officer Rodney Lewis and his partner were answering a domestic violence call on Menahan Street in Ridgewood yesterday when they stopped Santana. They say Santana fit the description of one of the men involved in the dispute.

Police say Lewis and his partner noticed a gun in Santana's waistband and when they struggled with Santana, the gun fell to the ground and went off.

Lewis was shot under his left arm, in an area not protected by his bullet proof vest. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the incident is proof more work needs to be done in the fight against gun violence.

"Guns kill people and we have to get guns off the streets, particularly out of the hands of criminals, where there is a federal law that says they can't have guns," said the mayor. "And that's what we're trying to do."

Police recovered the gun, which is an antique 32-caliber revolver.

They say Santana is a convicted felon and should not have been carrying a firearm.

The Queens district attorney says Santana faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.