MAMDANI IS UPSET BECAUSE ONE OF THE 'KIDS THROWING SNOWBALLS' IS BUSTED

NYPD ignores woke mayor Zohran Mamdani by arresting man who hurled snowballs at cops amid mass 'assault' which left two officers in the emergency room

 

By Emma Richter, Natasha Anderson and Kelly Garino 

 

Daily Mail

Feb 26, 2026

 

 

Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, was arrested on Thursday morning for allegedly hurling snow and ice at NYPD officers on Monday afternoon

 

A suspect has been arrested for allegedly hurling icy snowballs at New York City police officers, after Mayor Zohran Mamdani tried to downplay the severity of the incident that left two cops in the hospital. 

Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, was taken into custody on Thursday morning for allegedly assaulting NYPD officers on Monday afternoon in Manhattan's Washington Square Park. 

This is not Coulibaly's first run-in with the law, as he was 'previously arrested less than three weeks ago for an attempted robbery in the transit system,' the NYPD said. 

His arrest comes after Mamdani took to social media earlier this week, calling the agitators 'kids' while appearing to shrug off the incident altogether. 

When contacted by the Daily Mail about the arrest on Thursday, Mamdani doubled down and disagreed with the department charging Coulibaly. 

'As the mayor has said, police officers deserve to be treated with respect. The videos he saw showed a snowball fight that got out of hand,' the mayor's spokesperson, Dora Pekec, said. 

'He does not believe this situation rises to the level of criminal charges.' 

Footage of the snowball fight quickly spread online, showing a crowd pounding freezing snow and ice at officers following the historic blizzard that rocked the East Coast. 

 

NYPD cops were thrashed with freezing snow and ice at Washington Square Park. Two of them were left in the hospital with injuries

Coulibaly seen being perp-walked following his arrest on Thursday 

 

The clip showed a group shouting and pelting cops with snowballs as they made their way down snow and ice-covered walkways.

Some of the agitators hurled profanities, shouting expletives like 'f*** you, b***h' as police tried to push through the crowd.

Two officers had to be taken to an emergency room after being struck in the face, head and neck, the department said. 

They are in stable condition, the NYPD told the Daily Mail. It is unclear if they are still in the hospital. 

After hearing about the incident, Mamdani shared a brief statement that left many outraged over his apparent disregard for the safety of officers in his city.

’I've seen the videos of kids throwing snowballs at NYPD officers in Washington Square Park,' the mayor said. 

'Officers, like all city workers, have been out in a historic blizzard, keeping New Yorkers safe and cars moving. Treat them with respect. If anyone’s catching a snowball, it’s me.' 

On Tuesday, Mamdani held a press conference with the Office of Emergency Management to discuss Manhattan's historic blizzard and defend his response to the snowball clash that sparked mounting criticism.

 

 

Police commissioner Jessica Tisch called the snowball attack on cops as 'criminal' and said that NYPD detectives are investigating the attack

When contacted by the Daily Mail about the recent arrest, Mamdani (pictured Wednesday) doubled down and disagreed with officer's charging Coulibaly

After hearing about the incident, Mamdani shared a brief statement that left many outraged over his apparent disregard for the safety of officers in his city

 

'I can just tell you from the video I saw, it looked like kids at a snowball fight,' Mamdani said, doubling down again. 

However, he emphasized that city workers have been essential in keeping New Yorkers safe during this record-breaking winter and deserve respect for their efforts.

'They have been keeping New Yorkers safe. And they have also been at the heart of our efforts of digging New Yorkers' cars out of these kinds of conditions and ensuring that our ambulances, our MTA buses, can keep functioning,' the mayor said.

While Mamdani appeared easygoing about the ordeal, others were fed up and have since demanded a criminal investigation. 

PBA President Patrick Hendry told Fox 5 News that Mamdani's response was 'a complete failure of leadership.'

'This was not just a "snowball fight." 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,' Hendry said.

'By ignoring their injuries and dismissing the incident, the mayor has sent a disgraceful message to every police officer who serves this city,' he added.

Hendry also warned that the mayor’s reaction could send a dangerous message to anyone thinking about targeting a police officer in the future. 

 

A group of people are seen pelting snow at an NYPD cruiser on Monday 

More people are seen appearing to hide behind a makeshift shield while others throw snow 

 

'Unacceptable and outrageous - this is the environment that NYC police officers are up against. Our police officers are being treated for their injuries, but the case CANNOT end there,' the union, NYC Police Benevolent Association (PBA) wrote. 

'All of our city leaders must speak up to condemn this despicable attack,' they added.

Jessica Tisch, the NYPD Police Commissioner, called the agitators' behavior 'disgraceful' and 'criminal.' 

'The NYPD is aware of certain videos taken earlier today in Washington Square Park showing individuals attacking cops,' Tisch said right after. 

'I want to be very clear: The behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal. Our detectives are investigating this matter.'

The NYPD initially released two images of potential suspects. The department has not announced any further arrests.