Oct. 5 (UPI) — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were injured in a street confrontation in New York City late on Friday, the governor’s spokesperson said.
Paterson, 70, and his 20-year-old stepson, Anthony Sliwa, “suffered some injuries but were able to fight off their attackers” during the assault, spokesperson Sean Darcy said in a statement distributed to media outlets.
Darcy said the pair were hospitalized as a precaution but later released, adding Paterson’s injuries were inflicted by “some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.
“The Governor’s only request is that people refrain from attempting to use an unfortunate act of violence for their own personal or political gain,” he said. “He and his wife, Mary, are thankful for the quick response time from the police and the outpouring of support they have received from people across all spectrums.”
The New York City Police Department released information about an assault on the Upper East Side of Manhattan without naming Paterson and Sliwa as the victims.
They said the two victims, described as a 70-year-old male and a 20-year-old male, “were engaged in a verbal altercation with 5 unidentified individuals. Following the verbal altercation, the individuals struck both victims in the face and about the body. The individuals then fled on foot heading southbound on 2 Avenue.”
The NYPD said the 70-year-old sustained injuries to the face and head and was taken by ambulance to Weill Cornell Medical Center in stable condition, while the 20-year-old sustained injuries to the face and was transported to the same hospital.
Paterson is legally blind.
The Democrat became New York governor in March 2008 after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer. He served in office until December 2010.
Sliwa is the biological son of former Republican mayoral candidate and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa.