A snowball fight event held for fun in Manhattan, New York, after a heavy snowstorm ended in an arrest.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said on the 26th (local time) that it arrested Gusman Coulibaly, 27, on charges of assaulting police officers after he threw snow and ice at two officers during a recent snowball fight event.
Coulibaly was found to have been arrested recently on suspicion of attempted robbery on public transit.
The incident occurred at a snowball fight event in Washington Park in Manhattan on the 23rd, when a massive snowstorm hit New York.
At the time, nearly 50 cm of snow piled up in New York, closing schools and limiting commutes to work. In response, social media (SNS) creators proposed a snowball fight, drawing a large crowd.
At about 4 p.m., the scene turned chaotic when officers responding to a report of people causing a disturbance in the park were also hit by snowballs.
Video posted online showed snowballs flying from all directions at officers walking through the park. A group of teenagers also shouted loudly and chased officers who were trying to take cover behind cars outside the park.
The officers smiled at first, but tensed up as the snowballs grew larger. Two officers later suffered injuries to the neck and face and were treated at a nearby hospital.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called it a "criminal act" and said an investigation had begun. The police union said it was "an attack on police officers."
By contrast, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani took a cautious stance, saying the act did not appear to be a crime. That morning, he praised the police for their hard work during the blizzard and asked residents to be courteous. But at an afternoon news conference, when asked whether the police response to the incident was excessive, he said, "In the videos I saw, it just looked like kids having a snowball fight."
On the 25th, however, Mayor Mamdani added, "What I saw in the videos was a snowball fight that overheated," and "Police officers, like other city employees, deserve respect."
The case has revived talk of past friction between the NYPD and Mayor Mamdani. The mayor criticized the NYPD as "racist" and "a threat to public safety" and pushed for budget cuts, drawing fierce criticism from police when taking office.
That day, the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), the largest police union in New York City, issued a statement as soon as Coulibaly was arrested, pointing out, "Twenty-seven is not a child."
Public opinion is divided over the line between recreational activity in public spaces and disorder. Many said it cannot be dismissed as mere horseplay because it can cause serious injury to others, while others said it reflected public hostility toward the police.
New York police are tracking three more people in connection with the snowball fight.