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The Manhattan District Attorney\u2019s Office, led by leftist Alvin Bragg, said it would not pursue an assault charge for a 27-year-old man who is accused<\/a> of hurling chunks of snow and ice at New York\u2019s Finest earlier this week.<\/p>\n Gusmane Coulibaly, who NYPD officers arrested on Thursday, was initially charged with assaulting a police officer after a mob of people surrounded officers at Washington Square Park on Monday and launched snowballs at them. His other charges of obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct were also downgraded. The only charges prosecutors are willing to pursue are harassment and a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of governmental administration, the New York Post reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n The New York City Police Benevolent Association, a union representing over 50,000 active and retired NYPD officers, blasted the district attorney\u2019s office over its decision to drop the assault charge for Coulibaly. Patrick Hendry, the president of the union, accused Coulibaly and three other suspects who are still wanted of placing rocks in the snowballs before launching them at police officers.<\/p>\n \u201cSo why wasn\u2019t assault charged? Why was harassment charged? Why do they feel that that didn\u2019t cause an injury to a police officer, which he clearly, clearly has an injury below his eye?\u201d Hendry asked.<\/p>\n Two NYPD officers were treated at the hospital for lacerations to their faces after they were hit with the snowballs.<\/p>\n Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Victoria Notaro told the court that prosecutors would have a difficult time proving that Coulibaly was responsible for the minor injuries to the officers, according to the Post.<\/p>\n Thursday\u2019s arrest over the snowball ambush was Coulibaly\u2019s second run-in with law enforcement this month. The NYPD said that the 27-year-old man was arrested \u201cless than three weeks ago for attempted robbery in the transit system.\u201d<\/p>\n This morning, the NYPD arrested Gusmane Coulibaly, 27 years old, for assaulting our officers earlier this week in Washington Square Park.<\/p>\n Mr. Coulibaly was previously arrested less than three weeks ago for an attempted robbery in the transit system. pic.twitter.com\/IHO2zTC4tr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) February 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The decision from the district attorney\u2019s office to drop the assault charge comes after New York City democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani downplayed<\/a> the mob\u2019s actions, saying earlier this week, \u201cI can just tell you from the video I saw it looked like kids at a snowball fight.\u201d<\/p>\n Mamdani\u2019s office told The Daily Wire on Thursday that the mayor does not believe any action during Monday\u2019s snowball ambush of police officers \u201crises to the level of criminal charges.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs the mayor has said, police officers deserve to be treated with respect. The videos he saw showed a snowball fight that got out of hand,\u201d Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec said.<\/p>\n The mayor\u2019s stance on the incident is at odds with other New York officials, including the city\u2019s Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. Tisch called the mob\u2019s actions \u201ccriminal,\u201d while Hochul said\u00a0it is \u201cnever acceptable to throw anything at a police officer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n