A major snow battle in New York City after a blizzard that culminated in police being hit by snow and ice has sparked tensions between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his own police department.
At a news conference Wednesday, Mamdani brushed off Monday’s incident in Washington Square Park, when children were enjoying themselves while the New York Police Department and its commissioner, Jessica Tisch, took the matter more seriously, according to the AP.
Tisch condemned the event as “disgraceful” and “criminal”. Meanwhile, the patrol officers’ union quickly used the incident to argue that respect for law enforcement has declined under the new mayor.
The Police Charity described it as an “assault”, saying “it wasn’t just a snowball”.
The department is searching for four people and has circulated their photos, saying officers were injured after they were hit by packed snow and ice during a rally organized by social media content creators on Monday, the report said.
Mamdani said he did not believe the incident warranted criminal charges.
When asked if anyone should be prosecuted, he said: “I’ve said over and over again that to me, when I saw these videos, this was a ball rolling out of control and it should be dealt with accordingly.”
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It remains uncertain whether the episode could become a broader political issue for him, especially since he took office and faced scrutiny from various quarters for his previous criticism of the police department.
Monday’s snowball event drew a large crowd to Washington Square Park as a severe storm swept through the Northeast, creating a chaotic atmosphere with young people throwing snowballs across one of the city’s iconic parks.
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On Tuesday night, the police department released photos of the four people it is looking for in connection with the bowling alley and asked for the public’s help in identifying them. The images emerged after Mamdani brushed off the incident at an unrelated press conference.
Mamdani added that he had been in contact with Commissioner Tisch and expressed his appreciation for her work, avoiding questions about their differing views on bowling.
Ball games often end in tears or arguments, as many parents would attest. Things can easily get out of hand in the heat, and not everyone appreciates being hit by snow.
What do social media videos show?
At one point, videos on social media showed two police officers entering the park being bombarded with snowballs from nearly every direction, leaving them covered in snow as they walked along the trail. During the chaos, officers tackled at least two individuals to the ground while onlookers filmed the scene on their phones. In one clip, the officer’s face appeared flushed and he was seen rubbing his eye.
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Other videos captured people throwing snowballs at police officers stationed on the street just outside the park.
The police department later released a statement confirming that several officers had been hit in the face by snowballs. A union spokesman said two officers were treated at a nearby hospital for facial, head and neck injuries.
Reactions to this week’s snowball fight echoed a 2019 incident during a heat wave in which energetic youths were filmed engaging in water fights, throwing water at police officers. The incident also drew sharp criticism from police leaders who called it an unacceptable display of disrespect and suggested that officers who choose to walk away from such antics should consider a different line of work.
During his campaign, Mamdani, a progressive Democrat, apologized for past comments on social media in which he called the police department “racist, antiqueer and a major threat to public safety.” He also drew criticism from some left-leaning supporters when he decided to keep Tisch, an establishment moderate, as police commissioner, signaling a cautious and measured approach to law enforcement.
(With agency input)
