What began as an organized snowball fight in Washington Square Park has now escalated into a citywide dispute over whether what unfolded was harmless chaos or criminal conduct.

“It was very disturbing. This was an attack on two New York City police officers,” Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said.

What You Need To Know

According to police, the officers were taken to the hospital with head, face and neck injuries

The two officers were responding to a disorderly conduct call Monday at the park where a union representative says they quickly became targets

While Mayor Zohran Mamdani dismissed the incident as kids at a snowball fight, his police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, called it “disgraceful” and “criminal”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani disagrees.

“From the videos I have seen, it looks like a snowball fight,” the mayor said.

Those same videos show officers trying to back away from the melee, then scrambling for another exit as snowballs continue to be hurled at them.

“They were surrounded by a group which they described as mainly adults who were blocking both entrances [to] the park,” Hendry said.

The two officers were responding to a disorderly conduct call Monday at the park where Hendry says they quickly became targets.

“It’s just a snowball fight, no. This was ice chunks that were smashed on a police officer’s head,” Hendry said.

According to the union president, rocks were also thrown at the officers.

Video shows the cops trying to escape the park, shoving people aside as they are followed by the crowd. Even backup officers are seen being chased down the street by the crowd as they arrive to help.

“The individuals who did this need to be identified, captured, arrested and then prosecuted by our Manhattan [district attorney’s] office,” Hendry said.

Police say the officers were taken to the hospital with head, face and neck injuries.

According to Hendry, the officers are still dealing with pain and headaches.

Police released images of two suspects involved, asking for the public’s help to identify them.

The mayor says there should be no criminal charges, instead highlighting the treatment all city employees deserve.

“They and our entire city workforce deserve to be treated with respect,” Mamdani said.

While the mayor dismissed the incident as kids at a snowball fight, his police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, called it “disgraceful” and “criminal.”