NYC Mayor Clashes with Police Chief Over Washington Square Park Snowball Fight

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch are at odds over a snowball fight that turned violent when officers were pelted with snow and ice. While Mamdani calls it kids having fun, police are treating it as criminal assault and searching for four suspects.

A winter snowball battle in New York City has sparked tension between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the police department after officers were targeted and injured during the chaotic event.

The mayor has characterized the incident at Washington Square Park as young people enjoying themselves after a major snowstorm. However, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and the NYPD view the situation much more seriously.

Authorities are now hunting for four individuals and have released their photographs after officers sustained injuries from thrown snow and ice during Monday’s gathering, which social media influencers had promoted online.

Mamdani has indicated he doesn’t think criminal prosecution is necessary in this case.

“I’ve said time and time again that, having seen these videos, to me it was a snowball fight that got out of hand and it should be treated accordingly,” he told reporters Wednesday when asked if anyone should be prosecuted.

Commissioner Tisch condemned the events as “disgraceful” and “criminal.” The police officers’ union immediately pointed to the incident as proof that officer respect has eroded under the new mayor’s leadership.

“This was not just a ‘snowball fight.’ This was an assault,” the Police Benevolent Association said in a statement.

The controversy could potentially develop into a significant political challenge for Mamdani, who entered office facing criticism from multiple directions due to his previous statements about law enforcement.

The Monday snowball event attracted large crowds to Washington Square Park following a major winter storm that hit the Northeast, resulting in pandemonium as participants hurled snowballs throughout the famous city park.

As any parent understands, snowball battles naturally tend to escalate into conflicts or injuries. Participants can become overly aggressive, and not everyone appreciates being struck with snow.

Social media footage revealed two officers who walked into the park being bombarded with snowballs from multiple directions, leaving them covered in snow as they moved along a pathway. The officers knocked at least two individuals to the ground while snowballs continued flying and bystanders recorded with their devices. One officer’s face appeared injured and he was seen touching his eye.

More video footage captured people launching snowballs at additional officers positioned on the street outside the park boundaries.

The police department subsequently issued a statement confirming that several officers were hit in the face with snowballs. A union representative reported that two police officers received medical treatment at a local hospital for injuries to their face, head and neck areas.

The responses to this week’s snowball incident mirrored reactions following a 2019 summer episode when energetic young people engaged in water fights were captured on video splashing police officers.

Those water incidents also generated anger from police leadership, who condemned it as unacceptable disrespect and even suggested officers who would tolerate such behavior should find different careers.

On Tuesday night, the police department published photos of four suspects they’re seeking regarding the incident while requesting public assistance in identifying them. These images were distributed just hours after Mamdani minimized the confrontation during an unrelated press event earlier that day.

Mamdani stated Wednesday that he has communicated with Tisch and values her efforts but avoided addressing questions about their conflicting views on the snowball incident.

During his election campaign, Mamdani, a progressive Democrat, issued an apology for previous language he’d used to describe the police department, having once called it in a social media post “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety.”

He also disappointed some left-wing supporters when he kept Tisch, a moderate establishment figure, as police commissioner, indicating his intention to take a balanced approach to law enforcement matters.