On the evening of October 4, former New York Governor David Paterson and his 20-year-old stepson were attacked in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The incident occurred around 8 PM while they were walking near 2nd Avenue and 96th Street, where they were confronted by a group of five individuals—four men and one woman. Reports indicate that a confrontation escalated into physical violence, resulting in Paterson sustaining injuries to his face and head, while his stepson suffered a facial injury. Both were taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center for evaluation and have since been discharged as of early Saturday morning.

Interestingly, it seems there had been prior communication between the assailants and Paterson’s stepson, Anthony Chester Sliwa, the son of Curtis Sliwa, a notable former Republican mayoral candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels.

As a prominent Democrat with a history of tackling crime issues, Paterson has often been critical of New York’s bail laws and federal border management. He argues for stricter measures to prevent misconduct and has publicly scrutinized the Manhattan District Attorney and judges for what he believes to be their negligence in holding offenders accountable.

In the wake of this attack, some Republicans have attempted to link concerns about public safety to Democratic leadership, a notion Paterson firmly opposes. His spokesperson, Sean Darcy, released a statement on October 5, urging the public not to politicize this unfortunate act of violence for personal or political gain. Darcy also shared that Paterson plans to take the weekend to relax and enjoy some baseball.

Paterson made history in 2008 as the first visually impaired governor in U.S. history, being completely blind in his left eye and having limited vision in his right. During his time in office, he appointed Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to fill a Senate vacancy. However, he faced scrutiny in his last year, receiving a fine exceeding $62,000 for accepting improper gifts, including free tickets to New York Yankees games.

Currently, two teenagers, aged 12 and 13, have been arrested and are facing charges of gang assault, while police continue their efforts to locate the remaining three individuals involved in the attack.