"Scandalous and punishable" New York police investigate snowball attack on officers
The New York Police Department has launched an investigation into a snowball attack on its officers. The police officers were called to Washington Square Park in the Manhattan borough on Monday because of a large snowball fight and came under fire themselves.
24.02.2026, 19:55
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Uniformed police officers were pelted with snowballs during a snowball fight in Washington Square Park in Manhattan.
- Several officers were reportedly hit in the face by snowballs. They were taken to a nearby hospital.
- The New York police are now investigating the attackers.
Video footage showed two uniformed officers walking through the park and being pelted with snowballs from all sides. The increasingly frustrated police officers knocked at least two people to the ground. At one point, a person could be seen running up to a police officer from behind and pushing snow onto his head. According to theNew York Post, cars and bystanders were also thrown at.
The police authority announced on Tuesday that several police officers had been hit in the face by snowballs. They were taken to a nearby hospital. No further details of the injuries sustained were given. No arrests were initially made. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the snowball attacks as criminal. Tisch wrote on X: "I want to make it very clear: the behavior shown is outrageous and punishable by law."
Several politicians in New York also condemned the attacks. Critics of the new mayor Zohran Mamdani saw the attack as proof that respect for the police had diminished under him. Mamdani called for respect for police officers on Platform X on Tuesday. He said that they were ensuring the safety of the city's residents in the face of a snowstorm.
