STATEN ISLAND, New York (WABC) – Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke Monday after receiving a slap in the back while buying groceries over the weekend, in an incident that capture in a surveillance video.
A ShopRite employee, Daniel Gill, 39, was initially arrested and charged with second-degree assault, a felony, although those charges were later downgraded.
Gill appeared in court Monday, dressed in his ShopRite uniform, to face charges of misdemeanor assault in third-degree, third-degree threats and second-degree harassment. He was released on his own recognition by Judge Gerianne Abriano.
Police say Gill slapped Giuliani on the back while campaigning for his son, Andrew Giuliani, in the race for governor of the state, handing out leaflets at the Staten Island store.
“I was hit like a stone touched me,” Giuliani said during his virtual press conference. “It made me take a step or two forward. It didn’t make me fall, but it hurt me a lot.”
The former mayor said he didn’t really know what had hit him at the time, and he was surprised because he had campaigned there for him, his son and other colleagues about 500 times, maybe up to 1,000, he calculated.
“Suddenly I felt someone calling me something I can’t repeat about who I am,” Giuliani said. “Words of curse, dirty curses, and then some dirtier curses.”
After the slap, Giuliani says the man kept swearing and reciting to him about “killing women” and when he didn’t stop, he decided to call the police and arrest the man.
“That has to stop,” he said. “It could have been a lot worse, of course.”
MORE NEWS Tri-State reacts when the Supreme Court overturns Roe against Wade
According to prosecutors, Gill said, “What’s wrong with you bastard?” after hitting Giuliani on the back.
The cupping caused Giuliani to “stumble forward” and cause him “redness, swelling and substantial pain in his back and left side of his body,” according to the complaint.
The defense said Gill has worked on the story for four years and had no intention of causing any physical injury to the former mayor.
“The video is clear,” her lawyer, Susan Platis, said. “The video is clear that this was just a touch on the back.”
Giuliani, 78, was not seriously injured and denied medical treatment.
“This idea that attacks people because in my case I’m in favor of life,” Giuliani said. “I’ve always been personally professional.”
Giuliani, however, campaigned as an advocate for abortion rights when he ran for mayor and then in the Senate in 2000 and also during his 2008 presidential career.
This year, he supported the removal of Roe v Wade.
“Innocent people are being attacked in today’s New York all the time,” Andrew Giuliani said in a statement. “This particular incident affected very close to home. The assault on my father, the mayor of the United States, was for politics. We will not be intimidated by the attacks of the left. As governor, I will defend the law and order to make New Yorkers feel safe again. This message has resonated among voters throughout my campaign, through Tuesday’s primaries. “
MORE NEWS Brian Laundrie’s notebook revealed: “I ended his life”
Andrew Giuliani is scheduled to hold a rally at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the store where his father was slapped.
Wakefern, who runs ShopRite, issued a statement saying, “Store security observed the incident, reacted quickly and the police were notified. We have zero tolerance for assault on anyone.”
Gill, who spoke to reporters only to say, “Have a nice day everyone,” is due back in court on Aug. 17.
The Legal Aid Society, representing Gill, issued the following statement:
“The charges against Daniel Gill, who has no prior contact with the criminal law system, are inconsistent with current legislation. Our client merely slapped Mr. Giuliani, who suffered nothing but remotely resembled physical injuries, without malice to simply catch his attention, as the video footage clearly showed Mr. Gill was followed and threatened by one of Mr. Giuliani’s partners, who allegedly hit the Mr. Gill in the chest and told him he was going to be “locked up.” New York City police have been detained for more than 24 hours.Given Mr. Giuliani’s obsession with seeing his name in the press and his proven propensity to distort the truth, we are happy to correct the record of exactly what happened over the weekend on Staten Island. “
———- * More Staten Island news* Send us a news tip* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube
Send a story tip or idea to Eyewitness News
Do you have any breaking news advice or an idea for a story we should cover? Submit it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If you attach a video or photo, the terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2022 WABC-TV. All rights reserved.