Former New York Gov. David A. Paterson, a Democrat, and his stepson, Anthony Sliwa, were viciously beaten on the streets of New York City in Manhattan’s Upper East Side this weekend.
Police have arrested two young teenage boys in the attack.
The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Paterson, 70, who is legally blind, and Sliwa, 20, were walking their family dog when they encountered a gang of individuals.
The gang attacked and beat the two after a brief verbal altercation.
Paterson described the assault in detail, stating, “I was punched in the face a couple times.” His stepson required five stitches in his lip.
Both were rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and released early Saturday morning.
According to Paterson, Sliwa had initially encountered the group climbing a fire escape, which Paterson said had been used for building break-ins in the past. Silwa told them to stop; When the two later bumped into the same group, adults had joined the teens and they assaulted the former governor.
“It was a bigger argument that ensued but interestingly enough, two adults intervened and actually started the fight,” Paterson said. “[A woman] threw the first punches in the actual fight and another adult was the second person to throw punches.”
On Saturday, police arrested two boys, ages 12 and 13, on gang assault charges. Authorities had been searching for a total of five individuals in connection with the vicious assault.
A spokesperson for Paterson released a statement saying, “Governor Paterson and his family are glad to see the suspects turned themselves in. We hope that the young people involved learn something from this unfortunate encounter.”
The Police Department stated that Paterson was not believed to have been targeted in the assault over his political connections.
Sliwa is the son of Mary Paterson and her ex-husband, Curtis Sliwa, a former Republican mayoral candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels anti-crime group. Paterson, who served as New York’s 55th governor from 2008 to 2010, was the first Black person to hold the office.
The investigation is ongoing as police continue to search for the other individuals involved in the assault.