Governor David Paterson's 15-year-old son Alex was arrested by police Tuesday, Jan. 12. Here Alex is shown with his father during the governor's swearing in on March 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Governor David Paterson tried to downplay his teenage son's arrest by the NYPD, calling it a "non-issue" that the boy was caught playing dice and holding a woman's stolen debit card.
"He was questioned and released about a matter," Paterson told radio host Don Imus Wednesday morning.
"It wasn't gambling and you know, it was just one of those situations," Paterson said. "He was a little annoyed. He feels he didn't do anything wrong."
"Apparently he was with a friend and the friend found this debit card and they thought it was thrown away because it was by a garbage can in the subway," the governor said. "Teenagers will do that - they'll carry things.
"It (would have) been better to try and find the person and return it...but no one had put any charges on the card, so it was a non-issue," Paterson concluded.
Paterson's 15-year-old son, Alex, was arrested Tuesday after police allegedly caught him with a stolen credit card while he was shooting dice near his school on the Upper West Side.
The father of another teen questioned by the police said that the incident was racially motivated, telling the Daily News that the police detained "kids who happened to be minorities while letting kids of European descent walk away."
Alex Paterson, who attends the Beacon High School on W. 61st Street, was taken to the 20th precinct after the 3 p.m. arrest.
Police said they found a woman's debit card after asking the younger Paterson for identification, according to NBC New York.
He was spotted leaving the precinct later in the afternoon with his mother, according to reports.
The governor is in Albany today giving a version of last week's State of the State address.
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