The New York City Police Department (NYPD) released images on Monday to help identify several individuals involved in throwing snow and ice at officers in Washington Square Park, Lower Manhattan. This comes shortly after Mayor Zoran Mamdani suggested that the assailants were merely “children” and should not face criminal charges.
According to the NYPD, two uniformed officers were attending to a disturbance when they were intentionally hit multiple times in the head and neck with snow and ice, causing injuries. The officers were subsequently transported to Northwell Greenwich Village Hospital in stable condition, while the suspects fled the scene.
The NYPD is searching for the suspects on assault charges against a police officer, which is a felony in New York City. At a press conference, Mamdani described the event as similar to children having a snowball fight. However, police photos depicted one suspect with facial hair managing a large snow boulder.
NYPD officials later estimated that the suspects were around 18 to 20 years old. Vincent Vallelong, president of the Sergeants’ Benevolent Association, mentioned that many of the individuals involved are likely students at New York University. Yet, NYU spokesperson Joseph Tirella stated there was no evidence linking any NYU students to the incident. He expressed gratitude for the efforts of the NYPD, emphasizing that assaulting a police officer is a serious offense.
The first suspect is described as having light skin, last seen wearing a black jacket, ski mask, and black sweatpants with white stripes. The second suspect is described as dark-skinned, wearing a green jacket with a blue sweatshirt underneath, along with blue gloves and some facial hair.
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo criticized Mamdani, pointing out his history of derogatory comments toward police. Cuomo remarked on social media that the mayor’s rhetoric fosters a growing disregard for law enforcement and urged him to condemn the incident immediately.
Vallelong commented that those who target police officers in public spaces are crossing a significant boundary. He warned that today it may seem trivial, but tomorrow it could escalate to more dangerous actions. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch labeled the attack “shameful” and “criminal,” and confirmed that detectives are actively investigating the case.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no arrests had been made concerning the snowball assault incident.
