NYPD officers were pelted with snowballs and injured while responding to a large gathering in Washington Square Park on Monday afternoon, prompting condemnation from city officials and police unions. Several officers were treated for lacerations at local hospitals and were listed in stable condition, according to reports.
The incident began around 4 p.m. When officers responded to reports of a disorderly crowd gathered on a roof inside the park, according to the NYPD. As officers attempted to address the situation, individuals began throwing snowballs, striking multiple officers. Video footage circulating on social media shows officers surrounded by a crowd, being hit with snowballs and facing taunts from onlookers.
“The NYPD is aware of certain videos taken earlier today in Washington Square Park showing individuals attacking cops,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I want to be very clear: The behavior depicted is disgraceful, and It’s criminal. Our detectives are investigating this matter.”
The Detectives’ Endowment Association (DEA) issued a strong statement, calling the incident a “deliberate, outrageous, and dangerous attack on uniformed police officers.” DEA President Scott Munro called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to ensure those responsible are prosecuted. “No free pass. No get out of jail free card,” Munro stated. “Detectives will identify those involved and they will apprehend them.”
The Police Benevolent Association (PBA) similarly condemned the attack as “unacceptable and outrageous,” stating that officers were being treated for their injuries and demanding arrests and assault charges. “The individuals involved must be identified, arrested and charged with assault on a police officer,” the PBA said in a statement.
Mayor Mamdani, who previously supported the “defund the police” movement and publicly criticized the NYPD, offered a more measured response. In a post on X, he urged residents to “treat them with respect,” adding, “If anyone’s catching a snowball, it’s me.” This response drew criticism from former Recent York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who defeated Mamdani in last year’s mayoral race. Cuomo argued that Mamdani’s past rhetoric had created an environment of disrespect towards law enforcement.
“But with a mayor who has a history of calling the police ‘racist, evil, wicked and corrupt,’ he set the tone,” Cuomo said. “Words have consequences. We are seeing that in the growing disrespect for law enforcement.”
The incident echoes past instances of hostility towards NYPD officers. In July 2019, groups threw buckets of water on officers during arrests, and similar incidents increased following the death of George Floyd in 2020. The current episode has sparked debate about the erosion of civic norms and the impact of the “defund the police” movement on public safety.
As of Tuesday evening, the NYPD had not announced any arrests in connection with the snowball attack. Detectives are reviewing video footage, but the use of masks by some individuals may complicate identification efforts. The investigation remains ongoing.
