NYPD Arrests Alleged Snowballer as Mamdani Doubles Down on ‘Kids Snowball Fight’ Narrative
“Mr. Coulibaly was previously arrested less than three weeks ago for an attempted robbery in the transit system.”
On Thursday morning, the NYPD announced they had arrested one of the suspects in the snowballing incident from Monday, which saw police officers repeatedly pelted with snowballs, some of them the size of boulders, after they were called out to Washington Square Park to investigate allegations of unruly behavior among some in the crowd.
Here is one of the clips:
NYC (Feb. 23) — Emboldened rioters hurled snowballs at NYPD officers at Washington Square Park. pic.twitter.com/qd2qAKVSXr
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) February 24, 2026
27-year-old Gusmane Coulibaly was taken into custody earlier today. And, surprise surprise, he has at least one prior arrest to his name:
The NYPD arrested a man for his alleged role in a snowfall fight that injured two NYPD officers in Washington Square Park earlier this week.
Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, was arrested Thursday morning.
He was previously arrested less than three weeks ago for an attempted robbery in the transit system, the NYPD said.
This morning, the NYPD arrested Gusmane Coulibaly, 27 years old, for assaulting our officers earlier this week in Washington Square Park.
Mr. Coulibaly was previously arrested less than three weeks ago for an attempted robbery in the transit system. pic.twitter.com/IHO2zTC4tr
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) February 26, 2026
Punk with rap sheet arrested in NYPD snowball attack – and he is not a 'kid' as Mayor Mamdani insisted https://t.co/JEXQCrxfwz pic.twitter.com/4kr9NaC54M
— New York Post (@nypost) February 26, 2026
The arrest came two days after the department released the first two photos of suspects they say assaulted the officers as they walked in the park:
The NYPD has released images of two people they are looking to question after several NYPD officers were hit with snowballs and injured on Monday.
Mamdani: "From the videos that I've seen, it looks like a snowball fight."
PBA President Patrick Hendry: "This was not just a… pic.twitter.com/pgXpr4Tinn
— Crime In NYC (@Crime_In_NYC) February 24, 2026
The next day, they released images of two additional suspects, one of whom was Coulibaly:
NYPD releases images of 4 people wanted for questioning after officers hit with snowballs https://t.co/hX8IzPwJFd pic.twitter.com/Qph5tKT69G
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) February 25, 2026
The NYPD shared the information about the arrest of Coulibaly amid news that Big Apple Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a longtime Defund the Police proponent, was doubling down on the “snowball fight” among “kids” narrative that he first pushed Tuesday when asked about the post-blizzard incident.
Here’s what the Democratic Socialist Party of America member said at the time:
I’ve seen the videos of kids throwing snowballs at NYPD officers in Washington Square Park.
Officers, like all city workers, have been out in a historic blizzard, keeping New Yorkers safe and cars moving.
Treat them with respect. If anyone’s catching a snowball, it’s me.
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) February 24, 2026
.@NYCMayor Mamdani says the mob that pelted NYPD officers in Washington Square Park shouldn’t be charged because, in his words, “it looked like a snowball fight.”
That’s how you lose the rank and file. pic.twitter.com/yRaDJK1mED
— Benny Polatseck (@BPolatseck) February 24, 2026
On Wednesday, Mamdani was asked about it again. He did not deviate from the narrative:
REPORTER: “Are you willing to revise your statement regarding the snowball fight, given that this was not exactly a friendly back-and-forth snowball fight. The police that were there were not throwing any snowballs. They were getting pelted themselves…”
“Would you consider banning these crowd-sourcing events because they can, and sometimes do, get out of hand?”
MAYOR MAMDANI: “I’m not going to be banning snowball fights or organized snowball fights.”
“I’ve shared my thoughts with New Yorkers and I continue to believe that what we are seeing in this response this winter blizzard from the city workers as a whole, and that includes the hardworking men and women of the NYPD, is part of why the city is getting back on its feet and I’m appreciative of that work.”
REPORTER: “Are you willing to revise your statement regarding the snowball fight, given that this was not exactly a friendly back-and-forth snowball fight. The police that were there were not throwing any snowballs. They were getting pelted themselves…"
"Would you consider… pic.twitter.com/Pnq3WnZmcm
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 25, 2026
The NYC Police Benevolent Association was quick to ding Mamdani over the fact that the first arrest to come from what happened clearly was not of a “kid”:
A 27-year-old is not a “kid,” @NYCMayor. This individual is an adult with a recent attempted robbery arrest, and your message was that it’s OK for him to assault police officers for doing their job. This arrest sends a different message. We’re grateful to all who have worked so… https://t.co/0BT6Z9xvLH
— NYC PBA (@NYCPBA) February 26, 2026
Mamdani is also at odds with NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who described what took place Monday as “criminal” acts that were under investigation:
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.
— Jessica S. Tisch (@NYPDPC) February 24, 2026
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), who endorsed Mamdani’s mayoral candidacy last September, has also condemned the snowball attacks on the officers, tweeting, “It is never acceptable to throw anything at a police officer, full stop.”
Our NYPD officers put themselves on the line to protect us every day. It is never acceptable to throw anything at a police officer, full stop. https://t.co/xaSCzHW7rL
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) February 24, 2026
It’s unclear if more suspects will be added to the NYPD’s list. Presumably, that would depend on what other facial images they can make out from the various video clips that are circulating. Stay tuned.
– Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via X. –
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Comments
How well would you think Mamdani would react to a similar attack? Only then it wouldn’t be perpetrated by “kids.” He’d blame “Trump supporters.” But I’m sure he’s walking around NYC without personal security. Right? Defund the police and all that, there’s no better place to start than his own police detail.
If I had nothing at stake, I would try it, probably with his security. It’s a snowball fight, right? This would actually form a brilliant case study in disproportionate executive enforcement.
Involve Mamdani in a ham sandwich and bacon fight.
Suddenly all these Subway sandwich attacks are making sense.
Mamdani wants lawlessness so he can use it as a pretense to create his own local special forces that do his bidding…Communist playbook 101.
Portland is now brimming with “private” security people downtown, like usually 1 in 10 people I encounter are wearing a jacket with a security firm patch or badge. This in contrast with real po po, who are visibly absent. Back in 2018 or thereabouts I postulated that the defund the po po movement would be accompanied by an increase in private security companies that would provide paid protection. During the shutdown I speculated that at some point Amazon would develop their own security offshoot, to have guards either accompany drivers, or to have a squad of vehicles follow trucks to look for porch pirates. This to me, was akin to how the Russkies allowed the oligarchs to build private armies and thus become powerful forces within the border. During this period, my local grocery store had 4 armed guards on duty all the time to curb shoplifting by staffing each exit. These changes strongly parallel post WWI Europe and the rise of the fascist groups.
I quietly wonder how many of our multi-billionaires secretly have their own armies at the moment under the guise of private security firms for hire. Security for me and not for thee.
Lovable Lil Scamp, right?
Why can’t the February people disappear with the snow?
Check his reading level. Yep- that’s a child.
Did you use the Gavin Noisome scale of reading comprehension to measure it?
Reading comprehension goes red below 960 SATs…..
That’s how you lose the rank and file. pic.twitter.com/yRaDJK1mED
— Benny Polatseck (@BPolatseck) February 24, 2026
———————————
I sure hope so, especially his protective detail. Imagine the limo driver driving the speed limit, stopping for red lights and such.
Come now. Mr. Coulibaly was simply trying out for the Yankees. We all know their bullpen needs depth.
No doubt this prosecution is going to disappear. It probably would in any major city. Unless there was a serious injury or malicious intent I would tend to agree.
What’s different here is the political dynamic. Those of us that warn of having a muslim and/or a socialist in office look at this incident as a sign that our prognostications are coming to pass.
Police officers listen to what the mayor says and what he does and shrug. Why should they put themselves in harms way if the mayor doesn’t have their back?
And that breach of trust is how crime spirals out of control.
Gee, what a surprise that at least that guy who was assaulting officers with snowballs already had a record…
I trust they snowballs were a multicultural mix of white, brown and black snow…
My guess would be white yellow and brown. You have to expect a certain amount of urine and feces to be in the snow that came off a sidewalk in New York
So sick of POC
Sorry, wasn’t always this way
Accountability is kryptonite to leftists…. unless their mob is braying about ‘excessive force’ used to arrest one of them, then they love accountability.
He was arrested. The next question is what the DA’s Office will do. I expect some form of deferred prosecution. After all, he is a mere “child” of 27 who has already been arrested for attempted robbery [Not theft, robbery. There is a difference.]. He will probably end up being appointed to some sinecure political job.
Subotai Bahadur
Apparently drop the charges, which wasn’t exactly a surprise. If I was a retirement eligible NYPD or had been on the job less than five years I’d bounce. Those in the middle, the folks with a decade + in service but way short of retirement gonna be either very cautious and/or figure out how to apply for a disability pension.
Mamdani says, “It looked like a snowball fight to me.”
Translation by Paula: “No, of course not. I don’t support the NYPD.”
Snowball was a character in “Clerks” and should be ignored.
“MAYOR MAMDANI: “I’m not going to be banning snowball fights or organized snowball fights.”
Will you at least require two forms of ID for participants?
The crowds there seem to enjoy anarchy. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next time NYPD response is that there are no units available to answer the call.
Definitely a lag on response time. ‘Gee whiz, sorry about that delay, but with all the retirements, the disability claims, the younger LEO leaving for other jurisdictions and chronic under funding for new hires plus restrictions on overtime allowed for the LEO we do have….whatcha gonna do…anyways here’s the name/address for the desk SGT if you want to come down to the precinct and file a report’.
America the Beautiful.
Non-players in a snowball fight are off-limits as targets. And imagine the hysteria that would have ensued had the police “participated” in this jolly fun – and with the same weapons (chunks of ice vs. fluffy puffy thnowballth. Lawsuits. Firings. Weeks of “police brutality” in media. And claims that the police “started it.” Of course.
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