David Paterson Attack Update: Two Youths Arrested

Two boys under the age of 18 have been arrested in connection to an assault that occurred on Friday night against former New York Governor David Paterson and his 20-year-old stepson, according to the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

The NYPD said at a press conference Saturday that Paterson, 70, and his stepson, Anthony Sliwa, were walking in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan around 8:30 p.m. Friday when a group of people attacked them. Paterson and Sliwa suffered minor injuries in what police described as a “gang assault.”

Police confirmed with Newsweek on Sunday that two suspects—a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy—had been arrested and charged with gang assault in connection to the attack. The names of the suspects were not released.

Paterson, who is legally blind, served as governor from 2008 to 2010 after former Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a prostitution scandal. Paterson is a Democrat and was New York’s first Black governor. Anthony Sliwa is the son of Curtis Sliwa, a former Republican mayoral candidate and founder of Guardian Angels, an anti-crime group.

A spokesperson for Paterson said in a statement to CBS News on Sunday that the former governor “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 Governor is grateful to see the kids’ parents hold them to account and would also like to thank the NYPD for their strong work.”

At a press conference on Saturday, Paterson said that Sliwa had spotted some of the attackers attempting to climb a fire escape on Second Avenue while walking the family dog on Friday. Sliwa yelled at the group to “come down or he was going to call the cops,” according to Paterson. Sliwa “got into it with one” person in the group but the former governor said “that was kind of the end of it.”

Later in the night, Paterson joined Sliwa for a walk when the two encountered the same group again near East 97th Street, although two adults had joined the group. An argument broke out and two of the people in the group attacked Paterson and Sliwa.

The former governor said that his stepson fought off the attackers but ended up with a cut to his face that required stitches. Paterson also suffered minor injuries. He said that the kids in the group “didn’t start fighting” but had joined in the argument.

The assailants then fled by foot, per Paterson’s account. The NYPD released security camera footage and still images of five suspects related to the attack early Saturday morning, asking that anyone with information call the department’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477.

Curtis Sliwa also spoke at the press conference Saturday and said his son showed “a lot of courage” and “a lot of bravery” during the attack.

“He did the right thing,” Curtis said. “And then when they attacked him, he did the right thing to protect David Paterson.”

Sean Darcy, a spokesperson for Paterson, said in a statement that the former governor and his wife were “thankful for the quick response time from the police and the outpouring of support they have received from people across all spectrums.”