Mayor dismisses attack on police as “kids throwing snowballs”

Daily News Article   —   Posted on February 26, 2026

(by Mira Wassef, NY’s PIX11) — Mayor Zohran Mamdani has come under fire after referring to the NYPD officers who were pelted with snowballs during a blizzard on Monday as just a friendly snowball fight between kids.

Police said multiple cops were attacked during a public snowball fight in Washington Square Park in the West Village at around 4:15 p.m. Monday.  Two officers suffered facial cuts from the snowballs and were taken to the hospital for treatment.

The video showed the cops being blitzed with snowballs while walking through the rowdy crowd. Even as they tried to evade the attack, people continued to hurl snowballs at their faces.

The officers were called to the scene after people started climbing the roof of the building inside the park, according to the NYPD. When they got there, they were met with a barrage of snowballs.

[CBS New York reports police were responding to multiple 9-11 calls of disorderly conduct in Washington Square Park. The mayhem unfolded around 4 p.m. Monday, after a 911 call about people hurling snow off the roof of the park’s comfort station drew a small police response — and then a larger one when those cops were pummeled with snow, according to the sources].

During a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Mamdani described the incident as a snowball fight between kids.

“I’ve seen videos of kids throwing snowballs at NYPD officers in Washington Square Park.” he said.

Before Mamdani’s comments, the incident drew the ire of some of his political rivals, including former [Democratic] Mayor Eric Adams and [Democratic] ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost to [democratic-socialist] Mamdani in the mayoral race last fall.

“This is disgraceful. But with a mayor who has a history of calling the police “racist, evil, wicked and corrupt,” he set the tone. Words have consequences. We are seeing that in the growing disrespect for law enforcement — just as we’ve seen it in the rise in antisemitism. Real leaders understand that. This mayor does not,” Cuomo posted on X.

Adams accused Mamdani of setting a “terrible example,” and said, “ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS must speak out and make it clear that attacks on our officers, in any form, will not stand.”

Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, in a statement Tuesday:

“The mayor’s response is a complete failure of leadership. This was not just a ‘snowball fight.’ This was an assault – by adults throwing chunks of ice and rocks that landed two police officers in the hospital with head and face injuries.”

“By ignoring their injuries and dismissing the incident, the mayor has sent a disgraceful message to every police officer who serves this city, and a dangerous message to every person who might be looking to attack a police officer in the future,” he added.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch also condemned the attack, writing on X Feb. 23:

“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.”

[Detectives’ Endowment Association President Scott Munro also called out the troublemakers.

“What we saw in Washington Square Park today was not harmless fun — it was a deliberate, outrageous, and dangerous attack on uniformed police officers,” Munro said.

“Make no mistake: detectives will do what they always do. They will identify those involved and they will apprehend them.”

On Tuesday, the NYPD released photos of four men they say assaulted officers with snowballs, injuring them. The police department is now seeking the four, who they describe as approximately aged 18 to 20.

Despite the fact that two officers were injured, Mayor Mamdani on Tuesday said that he does not believe anyone should be charged in the incident].

Published at New York’s PIX11 on Feb. 25, 2025 (with CBS, Fox, News Nation). Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.