Manhattan prosecutors refused to pursue an assault charge against a 27-year-old man arrested for allegedly throwing snowballs at police during a pre-arranged snowball fight in Washington Square Park. The district attorney said there was no proof tying his actions to the injury of an officer.
Gusmane Coulibaly was arraigned Thursday evening on misdemeanor charges of obstructing governmental administration and harassment. He is now out on supervised release.
Coulibaly’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.
The New York Police Department announced his arrest only hours before the district attorney dropped the assault charge. The NYPD also noted Coulibaly had been detained less than three weeks earlier for an attempted robbery in the transit system.
The incident took place on Monday after a blizzard at a social media-marketed snowball fight. Videos of the incident circulating online show participants pelting officers with snow and ice from all directions. Two uniformed personnel sustained injuries, including a bruised eye and headache.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the behavior “disgraceful” and “criminal.” The NYPD is looking for additional suspects.
Coulibaly’s Manhattan Criminal Court appearance was attended by about a dozen officers and union leaders. Prosecutors outlined that the review of the evidence failed to establish a direct causal link to physical harm, which is required in cases of assault.
At a press conference on the blizzard the city faced, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, downplayed the event.
He acknowledged seeing videos of people throwing snowballs at members of the NYPD in Washington Square Park.
“I’ve seen videos of kids throwing snowballs at members of the NYPD in Washington Square Park,” he said, adding that officers deserve to be treated with respect. “The only person in our city’s work force who deserves to be treated with a snowball is me,” he said.
New York’s Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry called the mayor’s response a failure of leadership.
“A 27-year-old with a recent attempted robbery arrest is not a ‘kid,’ he said in a statement on Thursday. “This arrest sends a clear message that assaults on police officers cannot and will not be minimized or tolerated.”
“This was not just a ‘snowball fight,’ he said in a separate statement on Tuesday. “This was an assault—by adults throwing chunks of ice and rocks—that landed two police officers in the hospital with head and face injuries.”
The NYC Police Benevolent Association further lambasted Mamdami’s portrayal on social media.
“With this disgraceful and dangerous message, Mayor Mamdani has put a target on the back of every New York City police officer,” the Association stated.
