The dispute had ended, and his companion had called 911, saying she had been a victim of domestic violence. Sometime before 10 p.m. on Oct. 31, David W. Johnson left the Bronx apartment he shared with the woman and began making a series of phone calls.  Mr. Johnson, a senior aide to Gov. David A. Paterson, called Clemmie L. Harris Jr., a confidant and a senior adviser of Mr. Paterson’s. He also called Maj. Charles Day of the State Police, the commander of the governor’s security detail, who was at home in Albany.  Mr. Johnson told Major Day aspects of the dispute with his companion, Sherr-una Booker, and said she had called the New York City police. Major Day soon called and spoke with Ms. Booker — even before the city police arrived to investigate the 911 call. Mr. Johnson also called a friend, a woman who knew both Ms. Booker and Mr. Paterson, and she went to the Bronx apartment, arriving before the police.  The sequence of calls and the events of the next few days were pieced together through interviews with people briefed on the events, as well as police records. Much of what was said in those conversations in the first minutes and hours after the confrontation is either unclear or in dispute.  But the calls are undoubtedly one line of inquiry for Judith S. Kaye, former chief judge of the state, who last week took over the investigation into the Paterson administration’s handling of the domestic violence case at the request of Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo.  Among the questions Judge Kaye’s investigators will surely explore is when or if anyone — Mr. Johnson, Major Day, Mr. Harris or someone else — told the governor of the confrontation involving his trusted aide, who had served for a decade as his driver, body man and, most recently, senior adviser.  Mr. Paterson, who has said he did nothing improper, announced shortly after news of the episode surfaced that he was abandoning his effort to win election this fall. Through a spokesman, Mr. Paterson’s lawyer, Theodore V. Wells Jr., declined to comment; a spokesman for the attorney general’s office also declined to comment.  According to people briefed on the events of Oct. 31, Mr. Paterson had handed out candy to children at the Executive Mansion in Albany late that afternoon and later was driven to New York City, arriving at a Halloween party in Harlem around midnight. The next day, Mr. Paterson attended the New York City Marathon, and Mr. Johnson was back by his side.  Mr. Paterson, in the days after news of the episode became public, said he had learned of it only recently and had not appreciated the seriousness of Ms. Booker’s allegations — she said she was choked, had her clothes ripped off and was shoved into a mirrored dresser in her bedroom — until late last month.  He also said he knew nothing of State Police contacts with Ms. Booker. In the days after the dispute, Ms. Booker, during two Family Court appearances at which she was granted temporary orders of protection against Mr. Johnson, complained of being pressured by the State Police to drop the case.  Major Day, according to several people briefed on his account, has said that he regarded his call to Ms. Booker as innocent, that he was merely checking to see if she was all right or needed assistance. He had first called his superior, Deputy Superintendent Pedro J. Perez, for authorization to call her.  Others with knowledge of Ms. Booker’s account of the call said she clearly felt that she was being discouraged from pursuing charges or a case against Mr. Johnson.  One thing that people briefed on the events of Oct. 31 are clear on is this: Major Day was deeply concerned that Mr. Johnson would be arrested, perhaps even in the presence of the governor. He made a series of calls that night to other officials of the State Police, and after speaking with Ms. Booker he had repeated conversations with Mr. Johnson.  Days later, Major Day was still worried that Mr. Johnson would either be arrested or be served with an order of protection, according to people with knowledge of Major Day’s actions. Mr. Paterson was scheduled to attend an election night party in New York City on Nov. 3, and so Major Day contacted the New York Police Department to ask if an arrest was likely. He was told it was not.  After investigators questioned Major Day under oath last week, his lawyer, Richard E. Mulvaney, told WABC News that Major Day was being put in an unfair position by the governor’s office.  “He’s had a stellar career; he’s got a sterling background, and quite frankly we shouldn’t be here to answer to these charges,” Mr. Mulvaney said.  It is unclear if at any point in those days, as Ms. Booker pursued her case and some State Police officials sought to avoid embarrassment for the governor, anyone told Mr. Paterson what was going on.  Investigators have yet to interview Mr. Harris or Mr. Paterson. A lawyer for Mr. Johnson, Oscar Michelen, would not comment when asked Thursday if Mr. Johnson had spoken to the governor about the dispute or his court case before late last month. Mr. Paterson suspended Mr. Johnson without pay on Feb. 24. Mr. Michelen also would not say whether Mr. Johnson had appeared before investigators. A lawyer for Mr. Harris, Robert Hill Schwartz, also would not comment.  David Kocieniewski and Serge F. Kovaleski contributed reporting.
When David Johnsonâs companion accused him of domestic violence, it set off a flurry of phone calls to head off embarrassment for the Paterson administration.