Former New York State Governor David Paterson, 70, and his stepson, Anthony Chester Sliwa, 20, were attacked by a group of unidentified people Friday night on the Upper East Side. They were taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center hospital and are now recovering from their injuries at home. Police have made no arrests.
“Governor Paterson and Sliwa were assaulted Friday night while taking a walk on the block near their home by individuals who had previously dealt with their stepson. Both suffered injuries but managed to fend off the attackers. Paterson’s only request is that people refrain from attempting to use an unfortunate act of violence for personal or political gain,” Governor’s spokesman Sean Darcy reported.
According to Darcy and police reports, the two were on the corner of 96th Street and Second Avenue, on the south edge of East Harlem, when a group of five people, who have not yet been identified, attacked them. There was reportedly an exchange between Sliwa and the five assailants, among whom was also a woman and who all appeared to be teenagers. They then began to fight and the two were struck in the face and “in the body.” Before the police arrived, the gang took off running down Second Avenue. When officers intervened, Paterson reported some injuries to his head and the other victim had bruises on his face.
It is unclear what the argument was about, nor have details of the “prior interaction” that occurred between Sliwa and the five assailants been released. The 20-year-old is the son of Curtis Sliwa, former Republican mayoral candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels.
Paterson, New York State’s 55th Governor and the first black man to hold the office from 2008 to 2010, has repeatedly denounced rising crime in the city.
