Never in anyone’s wildest dreams would they imagine something as innocent as a snowball fight leading to severe injury, but NYPD officers found themselves at the center of a vicious snowball assault in Manhattan on February 23, 2026.
The officers were reportedly pelted by several snowballs during an epic snowball fight occurring at Washington Square Park. Despite officers tackling individuals involved to the ground in an attempt to restrain them, snowballs continued to be thrown with some people going as far as smashing snowballs directly into the officer’s faces.
The officers were hurt in what could be described as an incident that went incredibly too far. They were transported to a hospital shortly after the attack and were treated for their injuries which included lacerations to their bodies.
There are 4 suspects whose pictures have been captured. The suspects have yet to be identified.
Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani commented on the situation, and the members of NYC were not too fond of his response.
Mamdani took a seemingly lighter approach to the incident, labelling it as a snowball fight that simply “got out of hand” according to NBC New York. The mayor refrained from shaming the individuals involved in the snowball fight and instead demanded that members of the city treat officers with far more respect. Mamdani acknowledged officers’ hard work over the course of this year’s harsh winter season, and even said himself that “the only person who deserves to catch a snowball is [him].” This comment refers to the backlash that the mayor of NYC received as a response to his decision to resume in-person classes despite the city being covered in snow.
Many people were dissatisfied with Mamdani’s response, claiming that the incident was far too severe to be referred to in such a light-hearted manner. Several went on to say that labelling the attack as a “snowball fight between kids” reflected an ignorance to the extent of the situation and a lack of empathy to the officers involved. The New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association called out Mamdani’s response to the situation stating that it reflected “a failure of leadership”, believing that his response failed to properly hold the suspects accountable for their reckless actions.
