Police on Thursday apprehended a 27-year-old man for allegedly throwing snow and chunks of ice at two officers during a snowball fight at Washington Square Park earlier this week, in an incident that has sparked political debate in the city.
The accused, Gusmane Coulibaly, was taken into custody Thursday morning and charged with assault, police said. Authorities are still searching for three other suspects, including two believed to be between 18 and 20 years old, who are also wanted in connection with the attack.
Viral video shows confrontation during snowstorm
The arrest came three days after the episode, which has sharply divided public opinion and triggered differences between New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Videos circulating online show two uniformed officers walking along a pathway in the park on Monday while snowballs are thrown at them from multiple directions. The footage shows the officers being repeatedly struck and covered in snow.
As the situation escalated, the officers—appearing increasingly frustrated—pushed at least two individuals to the ground while the snowballs continued. In one moment, a person approaches from behind and presses snow onto an officer’s head. Toward the end of the clip, one officer is seen rubbing his eye.
Police commissioner calls act ‘criminal’
After the videos surfaced, Commissioner Tisch described the conduct as “disgraceful” and “criminal”.
Several political leaders condemned the incident, with critics of Mayor Mamdani arguing that the episode reflects declining respect for law enforcement. During his election campaign, Mamdani had faced criticism for remarks he made about the police department in 2020, though he has since moderated those statements.
Mayor’s response draws mixed reactions
In a post on
However, at a later press conference, the mayor appeared to downplay the severity of the episode when asked whether criminal charges were warranted.
“From the videos that I’ve seen, it looks like a snowball fight,” he said.
Police union criticizes mayor’s remarks
Patrick Hendry, president of the city’s largest police union, strongly criticized the mayor’s response, calling it a “complete failure of leadership.”
“This was not just a ‘snowball fight.’ This was an assault,” Hendry said in a statement, adding, “By ignoring their injuries and dismissing the incident, the mayor has sent a disgraceful message to every police officer who serves this city.”
