Washington Square Park snowball fight leads to second arrest

A second person was arrested Wednesday in connection with last week’s chaotic snowball fight in Washington Square Park, during which several officers were struck and injured by flying snowballs, police reportedly said.

Eric Wilson Jr., 18, was charged with misdemeanor counts of obstructing governmental administration and harassment, the New York Police Department (NYPD) said, Fox 5 New York reported. Wilson turned himself in Wednesday morning, according to the New York Post.

“This second arrest sends an important message,” said Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association (PBA). “These disgraceful attacks on our police officers last week were serious. It was not a game. It did not end with the snow melting. It was a brutal attack on our police officers and, our police officers, it took a toll on them.”

The snowball fight broke out last Monday in the form of an event organized and promoted on social networks. When NYPD officers arrived to contain the crowd, they were allegedly pelted with snowballs allegedly containing rocks. Two officers went to the hospital for treatment of head and facial injuries, the PBA said.

Authorities have arrested Gusmane Coulibaly as the first suspect in connection with last week’s snowball fight in New York. (Credit: X/@@NYPDnews/@BGOnTheScene)

Following the incident, authorities released images of four individuals and made their first arrest three days later.

Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, was the first suspect taken into custody and was initially charged with assaulting a police officer.

However, prosecutors declined to file criminal assault charges, saying there was no evidence that the officers’ injuries were directly caused by Coulibaly, Fox 5 reported. His charges were reduced to misdemeanor counts of obstructing government administration and harassment, the outlet said.

The NYPD added that Coulibaly was arrested less than three weeks before the incident for attempted theft from the public transit system.

NYPD RELEASES PHOTOS OF SNOWBALL-WILDING SUSPECTS WITH FACIAL HAIR AFTER MAMDANI CLAIMS ATTACKERS WERE ‘CHILDREN’

Snow was thrown at NYPD officers during a snowstorm in New York. (@BGonthescene/X)

Hendry said the thrown snowballs contained ice and rocks, injuring several officers.

“It wasn’t just a ‘snowball fight.’ This was an assault – by adults throwing chunks of ice and rocks – that left two officers hospitalized with head and facial injuries,” Hendry said in a statement.

In a social media post, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch added that the participants involved should be punished for their “shameful” and “criminal” actions.

“I want to be very clear,” Tisch said. “The behavior described is shameful and criminal. Our detectives are investigating this matter.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the incident in which NYPD officers were pelted with snow and ice was a snowball fight that “got out of control.” (NYPD; Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo)

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that while police officers should be treated with respect, the individuals involved should not face charges.

“As the mayor said, police officers deserve to be treated with respect,” his spokesperson said. “The videos he saw showed a snowball fight that got out of control. He does not believe this situation could result in criminal charges.”

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On the other hand, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul took a firmer tone, saying criminal charges seemed appropriate.

“Our police officers put themselves in danger every day, and there is no circumstance where it is acceptable to throw anything at a police officer,” Hochul said, according to Fox 5.

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