The quotation marks in our headline come from ABC News, not Twitchy. Why ABC News felt the need to qualify all of these terms is a mystery. Couldn't they have acted like real journalists and said "allegedly"?
As we reported on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted to X that he'd seen the videos of "kids" throwing snowballs at police officers in Washington Square Park, and told his followers to treat the officers with respect. "If anyone’s catching a snowball, it’s me," he concluded.
The snowball fight was reportedly organized online, but became aggressive when police officers approached. People climbed to the roofs of buildings to pelt officers with snow and chunks of ice.
The case has snowballed since then, and one of those "kids" has been arrested. This is after Mamdani told the press on Wednesday that he wouldn't be pushing for charges in the incident:
Mayor Mamdani says he won’t push to press charges against the thugs who violently attacked NYPD with snowballs on Monday at Washington Square Park.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 24, 2026
He says it was just a snowball fight. This is ridiculous. NYPD were ambushed and assaulted.pic.twitter.com/SyLOzsgJwY https://t.co/gHn2w8gw51
The police weren't playfully throwing snowballs back at the "kids." Here's more video of the incident from Tuesday's post:
New York City.
— JeremyUnplugged (@JeremyUnplugged) February 24, 2026
THIS IS DISGUSTING. 🤬
MAMDANI, what have you done to my city!? pic.twitter.com/zXfwLd1EUd
Wanted for ASSAULT ON A POLICE OFFICER: On 2/23/26 at approximately 4:20 PM, two uniformed police officers were inside Washington Square Park when two individuals intentionally struck the officers multiple times with snow and ice causing injury to their head, neck, and face.… pic.twitter.com/uTvF3fKCyI
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) February 24, 2026
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Here's ABC's "take" on the "snowball fight":
JUST IN: A man has been arrested for "assaulting" police officers earlier this week during Monday's blizzard in New York City, the NYPD have confirmed.
— ABC News (@ABC) February 26, 2026
Police had said people playing in the snow were "attacking" officers with snowballs. https://t.co/iox4I2O2jT
A man has been arrested for "assaulting" police officers earlier this week during Monday's blizzard in New York City, the NYPD have confirmed.
— ABC News (@ABC) February 26, 2026
Police had said people playing in the snow were "attacking" officers with snowballs.
https://t.co/YxJbvsYqOi pic.twitter.com/JlRYC7t3eW
Despite Mamdani's dismissal of the riot as an innocent snowball fight, a man was arrested Thursday morning:
This morning, the NYPD arrested Gusmane Coulibaly, 27 years old, for assaulting our officers earlier this week in Washington Square Park.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) February 26, 2026
Mr. Coulibaly was previously arrested less than three weeks ago for an attempted robbery in the transit system. pic.twitter.com/IHO2zTC4tr
A 27-year-old "kid."
🚨 BREAKING: One of the men who pelted NYPD officers with balls of ice has been ARRESTED, INFURIATING Mayor Mamdani
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 26, 2026
Mamdani LIED and said the assailants were kids, but the arrestee is a 27 year old West African named Gusmane Coulibaly
KEEP GIVING MAMDANI THE FINGER, NYPD! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/goD2Z7mqeh
Sad part is he will be out by 5pm.
— AmericanPapaBear™ (@AmericaPapaBear) February 26, 2026
The NYC DA will cut him loose, just wait and see
— Old School Eddie (@Old_SchoolEddie) February 26, 2026
Mayor Zero: "They were #mostlypeaceful snowballs!"
— Roger Baumgarten (@RogerBaumgarten) February 26, 2026
The age and background matter for accuracy but the real story is a mayor getting caught mischaracterizing an assault on police officers. That credibility gap is going to follow Mamdani.
— isaiah (UI/UX Designer) (@IsaiahOdekina) February 26, 2026
Mamdani hates police & wanted it defunded. He has said it countless times.
— Eric Pistey (@shawnpisteySC) February 26, 2026
27-year-old 'kid' with a rap sheet gets arrested for assaulting NYPD with ICE balls and Mamdani still calls it a snowball fight?
— True Europa (@TrueEuropa) February 26, 2026
Disgusting
He's just a boy with a snowball!
— The Squirrel Whisperer (@RogerTodger4) February 26, 2026
I think the mayor should participate in the " snowball fight." He can see just how much fun it is!
— Theresa Carlisle (@TheresaCar19162) February 26, 2026
As Mamdani put in his initial post on the riot, "If anyone’s catching a snowball, it’s me." If only. Let's see someone hit the mayor in the face with an ice ball and see if the "kid" who threw it gets nabbed by his security team.
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