Eric Adams says Giuliani assaulted by heckler at New York City grocery store

The mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, suggested that his predecessor, Rudy Giuliani, would be investigated for filing a false police report, after he was assaulted by a heckler who clapped him on the back of a Staten Island grocery store.

Someone needs to remind former mayor Giuliani that falsely reporting a crime is a crime, Adams told reporters. He said he had watched security video that undercut Giuliani's account.

Giuliani, 78, described being hit so hard it felt like being shot.

The heckler, who police said cried out What s up scumbag? He walked away, was arrested and spent more than 24 hours in jail before arraignment on misdemeanor charges including third-degree assault.

Adams said that the Staten Island district attorney, Michael McMahon, has the wrong person that he is investigating. Adams said that when you look at the video, the guy basically walked by and patted him on the back. He was not punched in the head. It didn't feel like a bullet. He was clear that he wasn't about to fall to the ground. Adams and McMahon are Democrats. Giuliani, a Republican, was mayor from 1994 to 2001, gaining widespread praise for his leadership after 9-11. He was a lawyer for Donald Trump, who took a leading role in disputing Trump's 2020 election loss.

The supermarket incident happened on Sunday as Giuliani campaigned for his son Andrew, who eventually lost in his bid for the Republican nomination for governor in Tuesday s primary.

McMahon's office didn't say anything about Adams' remarks. A message seeking comment was left with the New York police department, where Adams was once a captain.

Giuliani gave a profanity laced response when asked about Adams comments by the New York Post. He called the mayor a scumbag. The heckler was released on Monday without bail. He is due to appear in court on August 17th. The court records show that he is represented by a private lawyer who did not respond to a message seeking comment. A public defender group that represented him at his arraignment decried the man's arrest.

Giuliani was standing with a group of people when a man walking past reached out, touched his back with an open palm and then said something as he walked away.

Giuliani said he was accused of being a woman killer, which he took to be a reference to the supreme court ruling overturning the right to abortion.

Giuliani is barely reacting when his back is touched.

Speaking to the Republican radio host Curtis Sliwa on WABC, he said it felt like someone shot me Later, in a news conference on Facebook. He said it was as if a boulder hit me.