Rudy Giuliani, former adviser to former President Trump, attends the annual Memorial Day Parade on May 30 in the Staten Island borough of New York City. Photo: Spencer Platt via Getty Images
The Staten Island grocery store worker accused of slapping former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani on the back on Sunday had his charges reduced after footage of the incident emerged.
Why it matters: In the video obtained by the New York Post, the worker appears to clap the 78-year-old former New York City mayor on the back with an open hand. Giuliani alleged the worker hit him so hard he felt "tremendous pain" in his back.
Driving the news: Giuliani had been at the grocery store to campaign for his son, Andrew Giuliani, who is running for New York governor.
- The New York Police Department's (NYPD) initial account said Daniel Gill, 39, "slapped him in the midback while stating, 'What's up scumbag?'" Giuliani claims Gill said, "You're going to kill women," in reference to his recent comment on the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday.
- The worker was arrested and initially charged with second-degree assault, but prosecutors ultimately reduced the charges to third-degree assault, third-degree menacing and second-degree harassment.
- Gill was released by a judge and ordered to come back to court in August.
What they're saying: "The charges facing Daniel Gill, who has no previous contact with the criminal legal system, are inconsistent with existing law," the Legal Aid Society, which is representing Gill, said in a statement Monday.
- "Our client merely patted Mr. Giuliani, who sustained nothing remotely resembling physical injuries, without malice to simply get his attention, as the video footage clearly showed."
- "Given Mr. Giuliani's obsession with seeing his name in the press and his demonstrated propensity to distort the truth, we are happy to correct the record on exactly what occurred over the weekend on Staten Island," the statement read.
- The NYPD declined to comment and referred Axios to the Staten Island district attorney's office, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Giuliani did not immediately return a request for comment.