Newark police are investigating the robbery of former mayor Sharpe James.
The incident occurred shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday on Bergen Street, near Newark's Weequahic Park.
Police say James was approached from behind by an assailant who put him in a choke hold and grabbed a gold chain from around his neck before fleeing.
James was not injured in the attack.
Police are reviewing witness statements and viewing surveillance camera footage.
James was mayor from the mid-1980s until 2006. He later was convicted in a federal corruption trial and sentenced to more than two years in prison.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
