Rudy Giuliani on being slapped on the back while campaigning for son Andrew: "As if a boulder hit me"

Rudy Giuliani addresses alleged supermarket slap

NEW YORK -- A supermarket worker was arraigned and charged with third-degree assault for allegedly slapping former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani inside a Staten Island store Sunday.

The encounter was caught on video. 

As CBS2's Leah Mishkin reported Monday, former Giuliani said he is still in a lot of pain.

A criminal complaint says the 78-year-old sustained "redness, swelling, and substantial pain to the back and left side of his body" after being hit by a supermarket employee over the weekend. 

"It knocked me forward a step or two. It didn't knock me down, but it hurt tremendously," Giuliani said. 

Giuliani told CBS2 he was verbally assaulted next. The former mayor believes the store employee was angry about the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. 

"He turned around and said I was a women killer. You kill women. Your party kills women," Giuliani said. 

Surveillance video shows the incident. The worker appears to hit him in the back, prompting a reaction from the former mayor. He then appears to say something to Giuliani before being escorted away. 

It happened as Rudy Giuliani was campaigning for his son, Andrew Giuliani, ahead of Tuesday's primary election. 

"About a third of the way through, I got hit on the back. As if a boulder hit me. It knocked me forward a step or two," the former mayor said. "He is lucky that he didn't knock me down and I hit my skull and die or got a concussion or got seriously injured."

ShopRite said the employee was suspended, pending termination. 

In a statement, the company said, "Store security observed the incident, reacted swiftly and the police were notified. We have zero tolerance for aggression toward anyone."

Daniel Gill was arraigned Monday on misdemeanor charges of assault, menacing, and harassment.

One witness said, "It's not like he was in there telling everybody 'Vote for me, vote for me.' No. He went to use the men's room and then this gentleman obviously isn't happy with Giuliani and decided to assault him. No matter what his political views are, nobody should be hit."

Gill's attorney said his 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."

"Mr. Gill was then followed and threatened by one of Mr. Giuliani's associates, who allegedly poked Mr. Gill in the chest and told him that he was going to be 'locked up,'" Gill's attorney said. 

"It was painful all night. It was hard to sleep. I'm not a complainer and I don't feel pain very strongly, but I'm telling you it was a very, very, very heavy shot," Giuliani said. 

Giuliani told the press he plans to see a doctor for his pain. 

Gill's attorney said he looks forward to correcting the record. 

Gill is due back in court on Aug. 17. The former mayor said the incident will not deter him from campaigning in public for his son.

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