Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP / Getty Images
Several New York City police officers were injured Monday (February 23) after a crowd pelted them with snowballs at Washington Square Park in Manhattan — an incident that has sparked outrage from law enforcement officials and elected leaders across the state.
The officers responded to 911 calls about a large, disorderly crowd at the park around 4:15 p.m. When they arrived, the crowd — which had gathered for a pre-planned snowball fight organized by the online video series Side Talk — turned on the officers. Videos posted to social media show dozens of people surrounding the cops, hurling snowballs, jeering, and in one instance, running up behind an officer and smashing a snowball into the back of the officer's head.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch quickly condemned the incident. "The NYPD is aware of certain videos taken earlier today in Washington Square Park showing individuals attacking cops," she wrote on X. "I want to be very clear: The behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal. Our detectives are investigating this matter."
Multiple officers were struck in the face with snowballs and transported by ambulance to Northwell Greenwich Village Hospital, where they were treated for facial injuries. All officers were listed in stable condition.
The NYPD's largest union, the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) of the City of New York, called the attack "unacceptable and outrageous." "Our police officers are being treated for their injuries, but the case CANNOT end there," the PBA said on social media. "The individuals involved must be identified, arrested and charged with assault on a police officer."
Scott Munro, president of the Detectives' Endowment Association, also weighed in sharply. "What we saw in Washington Square Park today was not harmless fun — it was a deliberate, outrageous, and dangerous attack on uniformed police officers," he said. "The Detectives' Endowment Association is calling on Mayor Mamdani and District Attorney Bragg to ensure every individual responsible for this illegal behavior is prosecuted. No free pass. No get out of jail free card."
As of Tuesday (February 24), no arrests have been made. Mayor Zohran Mamdani had not issued a public statement on the matter.
The investigation remains ongoing.