History may well recall the moment Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney, decided to take a lenient stance on a figure known as “Diaper Man,” effectively undermining respect for law enforcement officers.
In a move that has sparked controversy, Bragg dismissed the assault charges against Gusmane Coulibaly, better known to his YouTube audience as Diaper Man. Known for his peculiar videos where he quizzes couples about their relationships and engages in bizarre antics like brushing his face with a toothbrush, Coulibaly has gained a reputation for his outlandish content.
At 27 years old, Coulibaly was apprehended earlier this month under accusations of attempted robbery—a stunt he insists was merely a prank. However, it was his involvement in a recent incident at Washington Square Park that drew significant attention. Coulibaly was among a group that pursued NYPD officers, pelting them with snowballs. One officer reportedly suffered injuries, including redness and pain around his eye, after being hit on the left side of his face.
The YouTuber faced charges on Thursday for assaulting a police officer, obstructing government administration, and disorderly conduct. Yet, despite video evidence depicting Coulibaly hurling a snowball that struck the officer, Bragg’s office argued that it would be challenging to definitively prove that the injuries were caused solely by Coulibaly’s actions. Consequently, the charges were reduced, raising eyebrows among critics.
This decision is seen by many as emblematic of Bragg’s approach in Manhattan, where leniency towards offenders seems to prevail, and instances of disorder are met with indifference.
It’s just another day in Bragg’s Manhattan, where criminals are coddled and disorder is met with a shrug.
Bragg should have at least taken it to a grand jury and let them have the final word on whether they believe there is enough evidence to indict.
Of course, prosecutors bring cases to a grand jury at their own discretion; but by not advancing this one, Bragg essentially made a statement about his utter lack of respect for law enforcement.
In 2023, the DA prioritized a nonsense case against Donald Trump, where Bragg had to twist the law into a pretzel to bring 34 felonies against the then ex-president.
To this day, Trump’s actual crime remains murky at best.
All this while Bragg had stopped prosecuting actual criminals. Instead, he went full steam ahead on the politicized case to become a resistance hero. He also aggressively slapped manslaughter charges on subway hero Daniel Penny. (The jury were deadlocked on that charge, so they simply dropped it. Penny was acquitted on the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide.)
So the DA is not afraid to go for the gusto on slim evidence.
But he can’t be bothered to send this case to the grand jury â not even to attempt to show that his office holds a line against crime.
The snowball melee should have sparked a unified message from all leaders across the city. And it should have been unequivocal and simple: If you harass and assault officers, you will be prosecuted.
And yet, it was dismissed by Mayor Mamdani who called it “kids at a snowball fight.” Perhaps calling yourself Diaper Man means you can still qualify as a kid at age 27.
Mamdani’s rep said the Mayor didn’t “believe this situation rises to the level of criminal charges.”
But this wasn’t a playful exchange of snowballs between children and cops set to the soundtrack of “Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?” It was a mob chasing down cops and getting a thrill from seeing them retreat.
Bragg’s decision also undermines NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch, who fiercely and rightly defended the men and women of her department. âWhen you wear this uniform and uphold those standards, you deserve to be treated with respect,ââ she said Friday morning.
Shame on Mamdani and Bragg for essentially signing a permission slip for rudderless reprobates to harass our hardworking cops.
