Former NY Gov. David Paterson, stepson attacked by group of 5 on Upper East Side
NEW YORK - Former New York Governor David Paterson, 70, and his 20-year-old stepson were assaulted on the Upper East Side Friday after a verbal altercation with five unidentified individuals, according to police.
The incident happened around 8:35 p.m. in front of 1871 2nd Avenue. The attackers hit both men multiple times before fleeing the scene.
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Both Paterson and his son suffered injuries to the face and head. Both were taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
Police say they are searching for five suspects, including a female with purple braids and four males.
According to police, neither Paterson nor his stepson knew the attackers.
No arrests have been made in connection with the attack.
In a statement, Paterson’s spokesperson, Sean Darcy, said: "Governor Paterson and his stepson were attacked this evening while taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson. They both suffered some injuries but were able to fight off their attackers. They are currently at Cornell Hospital as a precaution. They have already filed a police report and no further information is available at this time."
NEW YORK - MAY 20: Governor David Peterson at the El Museo del Barrio gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 20, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
The motive of the attack remains unknown.
David Paterson became New York's 55th governor in March 2008 after Eliot Spitzer resigned, and he served until December 2010. As a Democrat, Paterson made history as both the state's first legally blind governor and its first African-American governor.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).