Manhattan prosecutors declined to pursue an assault charge against Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, who was arrested after NYPD officers were pelted with snowballs in Washington Square Park. In court, prosecutors said they could not yet prove he caused injuries reported by two officers, and the case is proceeding on obstruction and harassment counts.
A winter gathering in Washington Square Park that included a large, social-media-promoted snowball fight escalated on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, as videos showed parkgoers throwing snow at uniformed NYPD officers and following them toward a police vehicle, according to multiple local reports.
The NYPD arrested Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, on Thursday, Feb. 26, and he was brought to Manhattan Criminal Court that night, officials said. While police initially announced an arrest on an assault-on-a-police-officer charge, prosecutors said at arraignment that they were not proceeding on an assault count at that time because they could not yet link Coulibaly to the officers’ reported injuries. Instead, the case is moving forward on misdemeanor obstructing governmental administration and a harassment violation, prosecutors said.
Police and city officials have said two officers were treated at a hospital after the incident. Prosecutors told the court they could not yet prove Coulibaly caused the injuries, and the broader investigation remains ongoing, according to ABC7.
The decision prompted criticism from the Police Benevolent Association. Its president, Patrick Hendry, questioned why an assault charge was not filed and said investigators were still seeking others in connection with the incident, in comments aired by local television.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged New Yorkers to treat officers with respect but repeatedly described the videos he reviewed as showing a snowball fight that “got out of hand,” according to CBS New York and other outlets.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch condemned the conduct shown in the videos as “disgraceful” and “criminal” and said detectives were investigating. Gov. Kathy Hochul also criticized the conduct, saying it is “never acceptable to throw anything at a police officer, full stop,” according to statements cited by CBS New York and other reports.
Separately, the NYPD said Coulibaly had been arrested earlier in February on an attempted-robbery allegation in the transit system.
