A second individual has been apprehended in relation to the unruly snowball fight that took place last week in Washington Square Park, during which several police officers were injured by snowballs being thrown, according to police sources.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) announced that 18-year-old Eric Wilson Jr. faces charges of misdemeanor obstructing government administration and harassment, as reported by Fox 5 New York. Wilson surrendered to authorities on Wednesday morning, as noted by the New York Post.
Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), emphasized the significance of this arrest. “This second arrest underscores an important message,” he stated. “The disgraceful assaults on our police officers during last week’s events were far from trivial. These were serious offenses that had lasting impacts even after the snow had disappeared. This was a brutal attack on our officers, and it had tangible consequences for them.”
The snowball fight, which spiraled into chaos, was initially organized as an event promoted online. When NYPD officers arrived at the scene to manage the gathering, they were bombarded with snowballs, some of which reportedly contained rocks. The PBA reported that two officers required hospital treatment for injuries to their head and face.
The first arrest linked to this snowy skirmish was made three days after authorities released images of four suspects involved in the incident. Gusmane Coulibaly was identified as the initial suspect in the New York City snowball fight.
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 felony assault on a police officer.
However, prosecutors declined to pursue a felony assault charge, saying there was no proof the officers’ injuries were directly caused by Coulibaly, Fox 5 reported. His charges were reduced to misdemeanor obstruction of government administration and harassment, the outlet said.
NYPD added that Coulibaly was arrested less than three weeks before the incident for an attempted robbery in the transit system.
Snow was hurled at NYPD officers during a blizzard in New York City. (@BGonthescene/X)
Hendry claimed that the snowballs thrown contained ice and rocks, resulting in injuries to multiple officers.
“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 previously said in a statement.
In a post on social media, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch added the participants involved should be punished for their “disgraceful” and “criminal” actions.
“I want to be very clear,” Tisch said. “The behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal. Our detectives are investigating this matter.”
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said that the incident in which NYPD officers were pelted with snow and ice was a snowball fight that “got out of hand.” (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 has said, police officers deserve to be treated with respect,” his spokesperson said. “The videos he saw showed a snowball fight that got out of hand. He does not believe this situation rises to the level of criminal charges.”
On the other hand, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul struck a firmer tone, saying criminal charges appear to be appropriate.
“Our police officers put themselves in harm’s way every single day, and there is no circumstance where it’s OK to throw anything at a police officer,” Hochul said, according to Fox 5.
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