Former New York Gov. David Paterson on Saturday described the Upper East Side attack in which punches were thrown at him and his stepson.
Paterson, 70, said at a news conference Saturday at the scene that the incident Friday night started when his stepson, Anthony Sliwa, 20, was walking their dog near Second Avenue and 97th Street. Sliwa noticed three young people climbing the side of the building and told them to get down or he was calling the police. The three came down and had a brief argument with Sliwa.
Later, just before 9 p.m., Paterson says he and Sliwa went for a walk around the block and encountered the same three people among a group of around nine. An argument ensued and a woman, in her 30s according to Paterson, threw the first punch. Another adult threw the second punches.
“The kids didn’t start the fight, they were arguing. Then, when the fight started, everybody got into the fight. It lasted for a while. At one point, when I had finally thrown this kid down, I turned around and saw that Anthony was on his knee, bent over and clearly severely hurt,” Paterson said.
Paterson said a neighbor was coming down the street at the same time and they helped Sliwa home, then called 911 to get him to the hospital. Paterson said he believes his stepson is going to be fine.
On Saturday night, police say they arrested and charged two people in connection with the attack. A 12-year-old boy was charged with gang assault in the second degree, while a 13-year-old boy was charged with gang assault in the third degree. Police say they’re still searching for three more suspects.
“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 Governor is grateful to see the kids’ parents hold them to account and would also like to thank the NYPD for their strong work,” Paterson spokesperson Sean Darcy said in a statement Sunday.
Paterson served as New York governor from March 2008 to December 2010, taking over following former Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s resignation.
