Former New York Governor David Paterson, 70, and his 20-year-old stepson Anthony Chester Sliwa were attacked by a group last Friday in the upscale residential area of the Upper East Side in Manhattan. On the same day, the police announced the apprehension of two underage suspects involved in the assault, aged only 12 and 13.
According to a report by Pix11 on the 6th, the two underage individuals arrested by the police have been charged with participating in a gang assault.
The attack occurred around 8:30 p.m. on the 4th, near Paterson’s residence on Second Avenue and East 97th Street in Manhattan. Paterson conducted a media interview on the 6th to recount the sequence of events.
Paterson mentioned that he and his stepson Sliwa were walking their dog outside the house at that time. Sliwa noticed three young individuals climbing the fire escape of an apartment building and advised them to call the police, leading to a verbal altercation between the two groups.
When Paterson and Sliwa went outside to investigate, they discovered that the number of assailants had increased to 5 or 6, with the situation turning violent. According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the group of 5 involved in the dispute consists of 4 males and 1 female. The police have released images of the suspects and are still pursuing the rest of the group members.
Due to the large number of individuals in the altercation, even though Sliwa is skilled in martial arts, he was ultimately knocked down. Paterson himself was also injured, receiving multiple blows to his face and shoulders. Both Paterson and Sliwa were taken to a local hospital for treatment, with Sliwa requiring five stitches on his lower lip.
Paterson later praised his stepson for courageously standing up to the group single-handedly to protect him, saying, “It takes courage.”
Sliwa is the son of Curtis Sliwa, founder of the New York patrolling organization “Guardian Angels” and former Republican mayoral candidate in New York City.
The attack took place within the jurisdiction of the 23rd precinct of the police department. The authorities urge anyone with information about the case to report it to the police through the Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-8477, ensuring their identities will be kept confidential.