A second person has been arrested in connection with a snowball fight police say injured two NYPD officers in Washington Square Park last week.
Eric Wilson Jr., 18, was taken into custody and charged with obstructing governmental administration and harassment on Wednesday, the NYPD said. His attorney information wasn’t immediately available.
What You Need To Know
A second person has been arrested in connection with a snowball fight police say injured two NYPD officers in Washington Square Park last week
The organized snowball fight, which took place as a winter storm hit the five boroughs, escalated into a citywide dispute over whether what unfolded was harmless chaos or criminal conduct
Police are still searching for two other suspects in connection with the incident
Police previously said they were searching for four suspects who allegedly pelted officers with snow and ice during a massive snowball fight in the park on Feb. 23.
Another person, 27-year-old Gusmane Coulibaly, was arraigned last week on the same charges Wilson faces.
The organized snowball fight, which took place as a winter storm hit the five boroughs, escalated into a citywide dispute over whether what unfolded was harmless chaos or criminal conduct.
The fight, which appeared to be organized by social media content producers, caused a chaotic scene as a large crowd amassed at the popular park to throw snowballs at each other.
Prosecutors said in court that officers arrived at the park after a 911 call about a disorderly group, including people climbing on a roof.
Video from the incident showed a large group of people following police officers, showering them with snowballs and jeering, as they retreat to their vehicles outside the park. Videos also showed officers shoving at least two people to the ground while getting hit from all directions by snowballs.
Police said the incident left the two officers with facial lacerations.
At Coulibaly’s arraignment last week, prosecutors said video showed him throwing a snowball that struck an officer in the face, but the Manhattan district attorney’s office did not find evidence showing that the officer’s injuries were caused “directly” by his conduct.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry described the incident as an “attack,” and said he was disappointed prosecutors didn’t charge Coulibaly with assaulting an officer — the felony offense police originally proposed.
“It sends a horrible message to these police officers right here that the mayor is not going to have our backs,” he said. “You’re putting a target on these police officers’ backs.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, however, downplayed the incident as a “snowball fight that got out of hand,” and suggested he did not think criminal charges were warranted.
Police are still searching for two other suspects in connection with the incident.