The NYPD announced an arrest in the Washington Square Park incident where officers were struck with chunks of ice and snow.
Incident details
Officers responded to 911 calls reporting a disorderly group in the park.
The gathering began as a pre-planned snowball fight promoted on social media.
Video footage shows individuals throwing snowballs and chunks of ice at officers as they tried to leave and return to their vehicles.
The department said suspects intentionally struck multiple uniformed officers in the head, neck, and face, causing injuries.
Two officers were treated at a hospital for minor injuries, including facial lacerations, and were reported in stable condition.
A gang of youths harass the NYPD and pelt them with snow.
If you look at the crowd you can tell that none of them were alive on 9/11.
They don’t know what the NYPD is willing to sacrifice for the citizens of New York.
Side note: You throw a snowball at police, they should be… pic.twitter.com/jYC33M81K3
— Amiri King (@AmiriKing) February 24, 2026
Arrest and response
Police arrested 27-year-old Gusmane Coulibaly in connection with the attack and took him into custody on Thursday morning.
He will face charges of assaulting an officer.
He is one of four individuals the NYPD identified as having struck officers, according to a report from the New York Post.
Court records indicate Coulibaly had been arrested less than three weeks earlier on charges of attempted robbery in the transit system.
The NYPD Police Benevolent Association president praised the arrest and took a jab at Mayor Mamdani for calling the incident “kids” having fun.
The union posted on X “A 27-year-old is not a ‘kid,’ @NYCMayor” via their post.
The PBA added that the arrest sends a different message and that more work remains to be done.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the behavior shown in videos was “disgraceful, and it is criminal.”
The NYPD released images of four people sought for questioning and asked the public for help identifying the remaining suspects.
Three additional males, described as about 18 to 20 years old, remain wanted in connection with the incident.
Mamdani had told reporters that from videos he’d seen it looked like a snowball fight and that he did not believe charges should be brought.
The mayor later reiterated that the videos appeared to show kids at a snowball fight.
NYPD releases photos of snowball-wielding suspects with facial hair after Mamdani claims attackers were ‘kids’.
To be fair, Democrats live in their parents basement and play video games for eternity so I guess our definition of kids is different pic.twitter.com/Ej45WF3DDw
— April Silverman (@CaliMAGABarbie) February 25, 2026
