NYPD Arrests 27-Year-Old in Washington Square Park Snowball and Ice Attack That Hospitalized Two Officers

‘Kid,’ Age 27, in Snow Ball Fight Has Previous Robbery Arrest

 

By Dan Gesslein
Manhattan Voice
February 26, 2026

NEW YORK, NY — The NYPD has made its first arrest in what investigators are calling a violent snowball and ice attack on police officers in Washington Square Park — and despite early claims that the video showed “kids” playing in the snow, the suspect is 27 years old with a previous arrest just weeks before the attack.

Police announced the arrest of 27-year-old Gusmane Coulibaly in connection with the Washington Square Park snowball and ice assault on NYPD officers that left two cops hospitalized earlier this month.

Investigators said Coulibaly had previously arrested just three weeks prior to the attack for an attempted robbery charge in the transit system.

The arrest is significant not just because it’s the first in the case, but because it undercuts the narrative that this was simply a harmless snowball fight that spiraled out of control.

According to the NYPD, the incident happened at approximately 4:20 p.m. on February 23, near 1 Washington Square North, inside the 6th Precinct.

Two uniformed officers responding to activity inside Washington Square Park were intentionally struck multiple times in the head, neck, and face. But investigators say these were not soft snowballs tossed by children during a winter storm.

Officials allege the objects thrown included hardened snow packed into ice, along with chunks of ice and debris — turning what some described as a snowball fight into what police are now investigating as a serious assault on uniformed police officers in Manhattan during winter storm conditions.

Both officers were transported by EMS to Northwell Greenwich Village Hospital, where they were treated and listed in stable condition following the Washington Square Park snowball and ice attack that sent two NYPD officers to the hospital.

The suspects fled the scene on foot, initially evading arrest.

Police identified the suspect as 27-year-old Gusmane Coulibaly. He was featured in the second batch of body camera photos the NYPD released during the investigation into the Washington Square Park attack on police captured on NYPD body camera footage.

Investigators also confirmed that Coulibaly was arrested less than three weeks ago for attempted robbery inside the city’s transit system.

The NYPD has not ruled out additional arrests as the investigation into the snowball and ice throwing assault on NYPD officers in Manhattan continues.

The case quickly took on political overtones after Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly addressed the Washington Square Park snowball incident.

After reviewing video footage, the mayor described the confrontation as “a snowball fight that got out of hand” and said it should be treated accordingly.

“I’ve said time and time again that, having seen these videos, to me, it was a snowball fight that got out of hand and it should be treated accordingly,” Mamdani said Wednesday.

The mayor also made clear he would not support banning snowball fights in New York City parks, while thanking city workers — including NYPD officers — for working through blizzard conditions across the five boroughs.

The mayor’s comments drew a sharp rebuke from the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association of the City of New York, which said the Washington Square Park snowball and ice attack on officers involving chunks of ice and rocks was far more serious than described.

“This was not just a snowball fight,” the union said in a statement. “This was an assault — by adults throwing chunks of ice and rocks — that landed two police officers in the hospital with head and face injuries.”

The PBA emphasized that both officers suffered multiple impacts and required medical treatment, pointing to what it says is a growing pattern of attacks on law enforcement officers during public disturbances in New York City.

The arrest of Coulibaly marks the first major development in the Washington Square Park snowball and ice throwing assault investigation in Manhattan, but police sources indicate the investigation is ongoing.

Detectives are reviewing body camera footage, park surveillance video, and social media clips as they work to identify other individuals involved in the violent snowball and ice attack on NYPD officers in Washington Square Park.

For now, the case continues to fuel debate across New York City: Was it a snowball fight that went too far — or a coordinated assault using ice and debris against uniformed officers?

With one arrest made and potentially more to come, the Washington Square Park snowball attack investigation involving hospitalized NYPD officers is far from over.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips. 

All calls are confidential.