Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler is being called a hero for breaking up a mugging in midtown last night. The Daily News reports that Skyler "tackled a perp who stole a woman's cell phone on a midtown street." He "wrestled with the teenaged thief on 48th St. and knocked the phone out of his hands."
According to the Post, Skyler, who is 6'4", was on his way to dinner when he saw the crime in progress and chased four teens who were running away from the victim. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said, "[Skyler] cuts him off at a right angle. The combination of him reaching for the individual and the individual slipping on ice ..." enabled the deputy mayor to tackle the perp. Browne added, "This was not a fight. (Skyler) said there were no punches thrown."
However, the perp was able to get away, thanks to his friends. The News says Skyler "chased them for a moment, then returned to comfort the woman until uniformed cops got to the scene." Skyler, who is Deputy Mayor of Operations, remarked on his "pit bull" reputation in 2004 (when he was the Mayor's press secretary), "When I have to be, I am. You need to defend your boss aggressively. Press work can be quite aggressive."
