Two minors charged in attack on former New York governor

The New York Police Department arrested and charged two boys, ages 12 and 13, as suspects in an assault on former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson last Friday. Authorities also arrested and charged two adults for reportedly taking part in the attack brought on by an argument. The former governor, who is legally blind, said he received several punches to the face and shoulder. Paterson’s stepson, Anthony Sliwa, also needed five stitches to his lower lip. All four of the suspects—including the minors—are facing gang assault charges. Paterson said neither he nor his stepson had seen any of the assailants before, and they did not believe the fight had anything to do with Paterson’s status as a former governor.

What kind of arguments prompted the fight? Sliwa spotted three young people climbing up the side of a building while he and Paterson were walking their dog around 8 p.m. on Friday, Paterson said at a Saturday press conference. Sliwa knew the building’s fire escape had been used as a point of entrance during a past robbery and threatened to call the cops on the trio if they did not leave. About 45 minutes later, Sliwa and Paterson ran into the kids and several young people and got into an argument over Sliwa’s insistence that they leave. An adult woman was the most aggressive in the argument and threw the first punch, Paterson said. Another adult man in the group threw the second punch, so this wasn’t an augment with a few rowdy kids, he added. Sliwa had martial arts training and fought off several assailants before neighbors called the police, Paterson said.