Suspect Arrested in NYPD Snowball Attack; 3 Others Still Sought
What to know
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Police arrested Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, on assault allegations after he was identified on social media video throwing snowballs that injured two NYPD officers during a Washington Square Park disturbance.
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Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Coulibaly previously was arrested on attempted robbery charges in the transit system and released without bail following arraignment.
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The incident has created tension between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD leadership, with the mayor characterizing the event as a snowball fight that escalated and officials treating it as an assault.
Several people hit a group of police officers with snowballs. As a result, two officers were treated at a local hospital for bruises, cuts to their face and complaints of head and neck pain.
Charges against Coulibaly were not immediately disclosed.
Three other young men are still being sought for pelting two officers with snowballs during the 4 p.m. incident Monday. The snowball fight was organized on social media in the aftermath of the historic blizzard that blew into town Sunday.
The NYPD released images of all four men taken from social media and asked the public’s help identifying them and tracking them down.
The police response drove a wedge between Mayor Mamdani and NYPD brass, who consider the incident a straight forward assault on the officers.
Mamdani sees it differently, describing the incident as “a snowball fight that got out of hand, and it should be treated accordingly.”
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