It turns out that a "migrant" tackled by the vigilante Guardian Angels in Times Square during a live Fox News interview this week was not actually a "migrant" as founder Curtis Sliwa claimed.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) clarified that the individual is from New York City, not Venezuela as stated by Sliwa.
During the Fox News interview with Sean Hannity in Times Square, Sliwa, a former GOP New York City mayoral candidate, labeled the man as "one of the migrant guys" before members of the Guardian Angels subdued him. Sliwa alleged that the man had been shoplifting, but the NYPD has stated that there is no evidence to support this claim.
You can watch what happened in the video below.
According to an NYPD spokesperson, the man, a Bronx resident, was detained by bystanders and issued a summons for repeatedly attempting to interfere with a live television interview. The spokesperson mentioned that the man was acting in a "loud, disorderly, threatening manner" on the sidewalk.
The news that the story was overblown did not surprise critics who called out Fox for airing the assault on camera and legitimizing Sliwa's actions.
Sliwa, who founded the Guardian Angels in the 1970s, criticized New York City Mayor Eric Adams during the interview, particularly focusing on the city's prepaid card program for migrants. The group has faced scrutiny in the past, with Sliwa admitting that some of their "early crime-fighting exploits were actually faked."
The altercation in Times Square has raised questions about the Guardian Angels' handling of the situation. Sliwa claimed that the man hit a "female Guardian Angel," leading other members to intervene. The shoplifting allegation appears to be based on information from the crowd, and Sliwa insisted that he believed the man was a migrant because he was "speaking Spanish."
He told Fox News that "illegals think they own this street, they think they rule the night" and added that "if they can't abide by the rules, then we're gonna kick 'em back from where they came.'" He said the migrant community "got a little bit of taste of what the Guardian Angels are gonna do to liberate Times Square from them."
The NYPD has not provided details on whether members of the Guardian Angels are under investigation for their actions during the incident.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
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