The NYPD’s top cop fiercely defended her department in her first public comments days after police officers were pelted by snowballs in a Manhattan park, leading to charges and an arrest.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch spoke at a department promotions ceremony on Friday, and while she did not directly address the incident that occurred Monday at Washington Square Park, she assured the rank-and-file that she has their backs.
“I will hold this department to the highest standards. When those standards are met, I will always be fiercely protective of you, and as you’ve seen recently, I certainly will not tolerate any attacks on my cops,” Tisch told the audience of officers.
Video from Monday showed NYPD officers taking apparently unprovoked snowballs to their heads and backs as they walked through the crowd, according to police. The fight was organized on social media, and what began as a fun and lighthearted gathering has devolved into a political rift.
The police commissioner and city’s mayor appear to have been at odds over what unfolded. While Tisch took to social media to call the attack “criminal,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani has seemingly been trying to downplay it. On Friday, he repeated his previous statements on the matter, suggesting he doesn’t view it as a criminal issue.
“What I’ve said in regards to the snowball fight is that, it’s a snowball fight that got out of hand,” said Mamdani, who has faced some criticism from the police union and others over whether his response was strong enough.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office seemingly took a middle ground, dropping assault charges but kept misdemeanor obstruction and harassment counts. The DA’s office said they were unable to prove the suspect threw something that caused the injury.
Gusmane Coulibaly was charged with second-degree harassment and obstruction of governmental administration at his arraignment Thursday night. The 27-year-old appeared in court after his arrest Thursday. Police said they are still looking for three other men involved.
The NYPD says it has arrested a man after the snowball fight in Washington Square Park where several police officers were pelted. NBC New York’s Chris Glorioso reports.
Two of the officers hit with snowballs were taken to the hospital to be checked out, but were expected to be OK, as the debate over what really happened rages on. The officers’ union has been vocal about the incident and arrest, with Police Benevolence Association President Patrick Hendry accusing those involved with “pelting them with ice rocks. The ice was packed with rocks.”
But a defense attorney said there was no evidence of that happening.
“This is the first I’m hearing of rocks in the snow. I don’t know where you got that from. There’s nothing in the criminal complaint that says that,” said defense lawyer George Vomvolakis.
As for the mayor and his police commissioner, they did see eye to eye on one thing: respect.
“I believe that our police officers should be treated respect,” Mamdani said.
“You deserve to be treated with respect,” Tisch told police Friday.
The investigation, and debate, are ongoing.