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Edited by: Fern Sidman
Disturbing new footage has surfaced, capturing the violent assault of former New York Governor David Paterson and his stepson, Anthony Sliwa, on an Upper East Side sidewalk. The attack, which took place on October 4, reportedly involved two New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) employees and a group of teenagers, in a brutal beatdown that left both Paterson and his stepson injured. As was reported by The New York Post, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, Anthony’s father, has spoken out about the incident, condemning the attackers and providing updates on his son’s recovery.
Video has been released showing former New York Gov. David Paterson, who is blind, being beaten with his stepson in Manhattan: pic.twitter.com/DKISbohRWg https://t.co/xHX7tx9sch
— Andy Ngo 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) October 9, 2024
Curtis Sliwa took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share details of the violent encounter, stating that his 20-year-old son is still “licking his wounds” after being knocked to the ground and beaten by the mob. “He is still recovering as he was violently beaten to the ground, while standing his ground with Governor Paterson who is recovering as well,” Sliwa wrote in the post. According to the information provided in The New York Post report, the video, which was captured through a McDonald’s window, shows about half a dozen assailants viciously kicking and punching Anthony Sliwa while he lies on the ground. Paterson, 70, who is legally blind, is seen trying to pull the attackers away.
Thank you to everyone for your outpouring of support after my son Anthony and Gov. Paterson were assaulted by a gang of five. Anthony is doing ok and I will keep you all updated. As a father, I’m wholeheartedly proud of my son for protecting himself and Governor Paterson during… pic.twitter.com/DT9czAZq9N
— Curtis Sliwa (@CurtisSliwa) October 5, 2024
The New York Post report explained that the altercation began when Anthony Sliwa confronted a group of teenagers climbing on a fire escape. The teens, angered by the reprimand, returned with two adult accomplices, escalating the situation into a physical assault. Curtis Sliwa, in his post, recounted how the confrontation quickly turned violent, with the adults—identified as 40-year-old Travor Nurse and 34-year-old Diamond Minter—joining the attack. “These adults escalated the violence and now are trying to claim they are innocent?” Sliwa wrote in frustration, lambasting the two city workers for their involvement.
Thank you to everyone for reaching out to check on Anthony. He is still recovering as he was violently beaten to the ground, while standing his ground with Governor Paterson who is recovering as well. I read that two of the attackers, both aged 30 to 45 took it upon themselves to… pic.twitter.com/eaxawx4aPn
— Curtis Sliwa (@CurtisSliwa) October 9, 2024
Paterson, who served as New York’s governor from 2008 to 2010, described his experience of the attack, recalling how he defended himself after being struck. “I threw him into the window of McDonald’s [and] I hit him again,” Paterson said, adding that while he managed to fight back, the situation worsened when the adults intervened. “The adults escalated the situation. The adults can rot in hell as far as I’m concerned,” Paterson told The New York Post.
Authorities have since arrested Nurse and Minter, charging both with second-degree assault in connection with the attack. According to the report in The New York Post, three minors, aged 12 and 13, also turned themselves in to police. While two of the youngsters were charged, a third was released without charges after police determined that he did not participate in the violence.
This was hard to watch, but just so proud of my son Anthony for standing his ground
and protecting Gov. Paterson when the gang attacked him. Anthony trained as a Junior Guardian Angel for years in martial arts at our dojo in Washington Heights. As a regular Guardian Angel,… https://t.co/Xv9y3qFafn— Curtis Sliwa (@CurtisSliwa) October 8, 2024
Curtis Sliwa, who founded the volunteer crime-prevention group Guardian Angels, expressed his outrage over the attack and the broader issue of escalating violence in New York City. He remarked that even high-profile individuals like former governors are not immune to the city’s rising crime. “If a former governor can’t even be safe of violence, no one is safe,” Sliwa wrote on X, underscoring the vulnerability of everyday citizens to such assaults. As was indicated in The New York Post report, Sliwa went on to criticize the city’s response to increasing violence, noting, “We have escalating violence in our city EVERYDAY. If we don’t get our city back in order, we will never be able to keep our most vulnerable residents safe.”
The incident involving Paterson and his stepson has reignited concerns over safety in New York City, with many residents and public figures calling for stronger measures to address the surge in crime. Paterson’s public life has been shaped by his own challenges—he is legally blind, a fact that makes his efforts to defend himself during the attack all the more notable. His wife, Mary Paterson, also happens to be Curtis Sliwa’s ex-wife, linking the two families in this troubling incident.
As New Yorkers grapple with the reality of escalating street violence, the assault on Paterson and Anthony Sliwa serves as a stark reminder of the growing tensions in the city. For now, both the former governor and his stepson are recovering from the injuries sustained in the attack, but the broader conversation about public safety in New York City continues to gain momentum.
