Two teens arrested in gang attack on former NY governor David Paterson and his stepson

The New York Police arrested two of the people who attacked former Governor David Paterson and his stepson Anthony Sliwa. A third was released as he was not involved in the assault. Paterson and Sliwa were attacked by a group of people, mostly teenagers, while walking their family’s dog last Friday night. Both spent the night under observation at a hospital and were released Saturday morning.

Assault following an argument

Paterson told the press what happened. It all started when the couple was walking with their dog and saw a group of five teenagers climbing up the fire escape. Sliwa yelled at them. Around 45 minutes later, they met again, but this time there were adults with them. A woman in her 30s threw the first punch:

"We have a big argument about whether or not they should climb up the building, about whether or not it's any of our business, at which point a woman who is clearly an adult, at least in her 30s, enters the situation and confronts my stepson to the point of practically pushing him against the McDonalds window. When the fight started, she threw the first punch. Another adult was the second to throw punches."

Sliwa got the worst of it for protecting the ex-governor

After the brawl began, Sliwa, son of Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa and trained in martial arts since childhood, tried to protect the blind, 70-year-old former governor and managed to hold off the assailants until six of them managed to knock him down. Paterson took several blows but managed to hit two of the assailants.

"When the fight started, [Sliwa] got someone off me, but then it became four to one, five to one, six to one, and he was knocked to the ground, and stunned by the experience.... It's lucky it wasn't worse than it is.... On the other hand, I got into a fight with a guy who I was able to knock to the ground in the end, and come and get my son. One of our neighbors was walking by and we were able to back off and call 911."

"No one is safe (...) We need to put an end to the violence in this city”

The governor asked that the incident not be used as a political weapon while stating that Mayor Adams had not contacted him. Anthony Sliwa declined to give a statement but his father did share on social media several posts about the assault, claiming he was proud that his son managed to defend Paterson despite his injuries.

In addition, Sliwa again spoke out against the situation of insecurity in the city: "This shows once again that no one is safe from a random violent attack in New York. I know many other New York families who have witnessed this and worse. We need to put an end to violence in this city."