{"id":147150,"date":"2026-02-27T09:15:06","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T09:15:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/147150\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T09:15:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T09:15:06","slug":"manhattan-da-alvin-bragg-declines-to-charge-kid-throwing-snowballs-at-nypd-officers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/147150\/","title":{"rendered":"Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg declines to charge \u2018kid\u2019 throwing snowballs at NYPD officers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg<\/a> declined to charge a 27-year-old male for assaulting police officers at Washington Square Park in New York City<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Gusmane Coulibaly was arrested<\/a> on Thursday after his picture was circulated on a NYPD tipline for a massive snowball skirmish that happened earlier this week. He was charged<\/a> with assaulting NYPD officers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Coulibaly, who is also supposedly an internet personality and wannabe social media influencer known as \u201cDiaperman,\u201d claimed the snowball fight was a prank, according to the New York Post<\/a>. Notably, Coulibaly was previously arrested on Feb. 6 and charged with attempted robbery<\/a> at a subway station in the Bronx in New York City.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the attempted robbery and other related charges, Coulibaly pleaded not guilty. He was released and is due back in court on March 15 for that incident, the New York Post reported. As mentioned earlier, Bragg\u2019s office declined to pursue charges of assaulting an officer during an arraignment on Thursday evening. Instead he was given downgraded<\/a> charges of \u201charassment and obstruction of governmental administration as a second-degree violation and misdemeanor.\u201d<\/p>\n

This morning, the NYPD arrested Gusmane Coulibaly, 27 years old, for assaulting our officers earlier this week in Washington Square Park.\u00a0<\/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

Bragg\u2019s decision aligned with those of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani who also said he would not recommend charges be filed against anyone involved in the snowball melee at Washington Square Park during press conferences earlier in the week. When asked about the incident after video of people throwing snowballs at NYPD officers went viral, Mamdani downplayed what happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I\u2019ve seen videos of kids throwing snowballs at members of the NYPD in Washington Square Park,\u201d Mamdani said<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

He repeated his assessment when reporters again pressed him on the incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the videos that I\u2019ve seen, it looks like a snowball fight,\u201d Mamdani said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not everyone agreed with Mamdani, however, including NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch who said called the ordeal \u201cdisgraceful\u201d and \u201ccriminal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe NYPD is aware of certain videos taken earlier today in Washington Square Park showing individuals attacking cops,\u201d Tisch\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0in a post on X on Monday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MAN WITH PRIOR RECORD ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING NYPD OFFICER IN SNOWBALL FIGHT<\/a><\/p>\n

Patrick Hendry, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, dismissed<\/a> the idea that the skirmish was just a \u201cplayful snowball fight.\u201d He categorized it as \u201can attack on the uniform these police officers wear every day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a grown adult that was here,\u201d said Hendry, noting Coulibaly\u2019s age of 27 is much older than anyone considered a \u201ckid\u201d as Mamdani claimed. \u201cOur police officers went to this location, on the rooftop, for a disorderly group, came down, and they were surrounded by hundreds of individuals who then attacked all police officers.\u201d<\/p>\n