By Mathew Silverman, National President, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
What began as a viral snowball fight during a historic blizzard has evolved into something far more serious: a test of whether New York’s elected leaders will stand unequivocally behind the men and women who protect their city.
Two uniformed NYPD officers were struck multiple times with packed snow and chunks of ice, sustaining lacerations to their heads and faces and requiring hospital treatment.
The New York Police Department publicly described the incident as “ASSAULT ON A POLICE OFFICER,” stating that the officers were intentionally struck in Washington Square Park.
Yet New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani characterized the incident differently.
“From videos I’ve seen, it looks like a snowball fight,” he said, adding that the officers were “facing lacerations on their face.” When asked whether anyone involved should be charged with assault if identified, the mayor responded, “I don’t.”
I watched the same video. What I saw was not a playful exchange. I saw two uniformed officers attempting to disengage from a hostile crowd. I saw individuals throwing hard-packed ice and debris, not in jest, but with force and intent. I saw officers exercising restraint, choosing de-escalation over confrontation, even as projectiles struck their heads and faces.
That is not a snowball fight. That is an assault.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch addressed the incident directly and without ambiguity.
“I want to be very clear: The behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal. Our detectives are investigating this matter,” Tisch said in a social media post.
That is what leadership looks like.
Commissioner Tisch put her officers before politics, exactly as a police commissioner should. It is not always easy to take a firm stand in today’s political climate, especially when doing so may create friction with elected leadership. Speaking plainly about violence against your officers can carry professional risk when political narratives seek to minimize the conduct.
But protecting your officers and defending the rule of law is not optional. It is foundational.
I want to be clear. Commissioner Tisch has the full support of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with the NYPD and work hand in hand with the Police Benevolent Association to ensure that leadership which defends its officers is not isolated or undermined for doing what is right.
Governor Kathy Hochul also weighed in clearly and appropriately: “It is never acceptable to throw anything at a police officer, full stop.” That clarity matters. It sends a message that those who put on the uniform will not be politically abandoned when they are injured in the line of duty.
The NYPD later arrested 27-year-old Gusmane Coulibaly in connection with the incident. However, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to pursue an assault charge, instead filing a misdemeanor count of obstructing governmental administration and a harassment violation. Coulibaly was arraigned and released on supervised release. Prosecutors also noted that he had been arrested earlier this month in the Bronx for an unrelated alleged attempted robbery.
The legal standard for assault in New York includes intentionally causing physical injury. When officers suffer head and face injuries after being struck multiple times with packed ice, the public reasonably expects that conduct to be treated with the seriousness it warrants.
When elected officials minimize such conduct as a snowball fight that “got out of hand,” it sends a dangerous message. It tells agitators that attacks on police may be rebranded as mischief. It tells officers that their injuries may be subject to political interpretation. Most concerning, it risks normalizing hostility toward those tasked with maintaining order.
This is not about politics. It is about principle.
Law enforcement officers accept risk. They do not accept that violence against them should be excused or trivialized. When officers demonstrate restraint under provocation, they should be commended, not left wondering whether their leaders will stand with them.
New Yorkers deserve clarity from their elected officials. Assaulting a police officer is not seasonal. It is not humorous. It is not a viral moment. It is a crime.
If we fail to draw that line clearly and consistently, we should not be surprised when the next incident escalates beyond snow and ice.
Public safety depends on leadership willing to say, without hesitation: attacking a police officer is unacceptable. Full stop.
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