Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said an investigation is underway after several cops were relentlessly pelted with snowballs at Washington Square Park on Monday afternoon, as revelers took things a few steps too far.
Tisch and several police unions are condemning the incident, which was captured in several videos that quickly went viral on social media.
There’s a thin line between wintry fun and assault, and it appears a number of parkgoers crossed it when they decided to take aim at officers who responded to the iconic park at around 4 p.m. on Feb. 23 to break up a large gathering. The response came after police received a 911 call regarding a disorderly group. A massive snowball fight had been scheduled online hours earlier and drew a large crowd.
One video showed two cops taking rough-looking snowballs to the face, leaving them fuming and shoving several people to the ground in anger. In one incident, they chased a man and flung him to the ground.
Later backup arrived, and they too found themselves on the receiving end of the snow. One cop could even be seen brandishing his taser as the officers retreated. At least one arrest was made during the chaos.
The top cop herself called it “criminal.”
“The NYPD is aware of certain videos taken earlier today in Washington Square Park showing individuals attacking cops. I want to be very clear: The behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal. Our detectives are investigating this matter,” Tisch wrote in a late-night social media post.”
Police unions were also left fuming over the incident, and demanding justice.
“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 individuals involved must be identified, arrested and charged with assault on a police officer. And all of our city leaders must speak up to condemn this despicable attack,” the Police Benevolent Association said in a statement.
“What we saw in Washington Square Park today was not harmless fun – it was a deliberate, outrageous, and dangerous attack on uniformed police officers. 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,” Detective Endowment Association President Scott Munro said. “Make no mistake: detectives will do what they always do. They will identify those involved, and they will apprehend them.”
The condemnation didn’t just come from the department and its unions. Several others also admonished those involved.
“This is not who we are as New Yorkers. These a-holes should be ashamed of themselves,” former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer wrote on social media.
“This is disgraceful. @NYCMayor and every elected official in our city should denounce this juvenile attack on our #NYPD. Back the blue and hold those who disrespect them accountable,” U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Brooklyn/Staten Island) added on X.
