Lead
Manhattan prosecutors on Feb. 26, 2026 declined to pursue a felony assault charge against 27-year-old Gusmane Coulibaly, who was accused of injuring police officers during an organized snowball fight in Washington Square Park earlier that week. Coulibaly was arrested at his Bronx home and remains charged with obstructing governmental administration (a misdemeanor) and harassment (a violation). Officials said review of body-camera footage and social media clips did not establish that any officer suffered a physical injury directly caused by Coulibaly. He was released from Manhattan criminal court on supervised release Thursday evening.
Key Takeaways
- Prosecutors on Feb. 26, 2026 declined to bring a felony assault charge against Gusmane Coulibaly, 27.
- Coulibaly still faces obstructing governmental administration (misdemeanor) and harassment (violation) charges after his arrest at a Bronx residence.
- The incident occurred during an organized snowball event on Monday in Washington Square Park where some participants threw snowballs at police officers.
- Prosecutors reviewed officers’ body-camera footage and social media videos as part of the charging decision.
- An officer reported redness in an eye and pain in the head and neck; prosecutors said they could not tie those symptoms directly to Coulibaly’s actions.
- The arrest and charging choices prompted an early public disagreement between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch about whether the conduct amounted to a crime.
- Coulibaly left court on supervised release Thursday evening and has not been convicted of assault.
Background
Public gatherings and spontaneous street events in New York City have periodically led to confrontations between celebrants and police, particularly in high-traffic parks and plazas. Washington Square Park has long been a focal point for demonstrations, performances and large informal gatherings, and police often respond to complaints about disorder or safety. In recent years legal and political debates have sharpened over how authorities should respond when officers are engaged by protestors or revelers—balancing public order and free expression.
This week’s episode began as an organized snowball fight on Monday in Washington Square Park. Video circulating on social platforms showed participants pelting each other and, in some clips, throwing snowballs toward uniformed officers stationed nearby. Officials said the event escalated when some participants directed snowballs at officers; that led to a series of stops and, ultimately, an arrest three days later at a Bronx address. The timing of the arrest and the choice of charges intersected with broader disputes in City Hall over policing thresholds and prosecutorial decisions.
Main Event
On Monday, an organized snowball gathering drew a crowd to Washington Square Park. According to police accounts and public clips, some attendees began throwing snowballs in the direction of officers tasked with monitoring the event. The department classified those actions as an escalation from playful activity to conduct warranting police intervention.
Three days later, police officers went to a Bronx residence early on Thursday and detained Gusmane Coulibaly. He was booked on multiple counts, including a felony charge of assaulting a police officer, which the Manhattan district attorney later declined to pursue. Court records show he was arraigned on the remaining misdemeanor and violation-level counts and released on supervised conditions that evening.
Prosecutors said their decision followed a review of available evidence, encompassing footage from officers’ body cameras and multiple social media videos. That review led them to conclude they could not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that any officer sustained a physical injury directly caused by Coulibaly’s actions, even though an officer reported redness in an eye and pain to the head and neck after the encounter.
Analysis & Implications
The D.A.’s choice not to press a felony assault charge highlights the evidentiary standards that govern charging decisions. Prosecutors must connect a defendant’s conduct to a specific, provable injury when pursuing elevated charges against someone accused of striking an officer. In this case, video evidence and medical descriptions were not deemed sufficient to meet that burden for a felony assault count.
Politically, the episode underscores tensions between city officials and law enforcement leadership about when conduct crosses from disorderly to criminal. The public disagreement between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch over whether the snowballing amounted to a prosecutable offense reflects competing priorities: preserving public space freedoms versus deterring perceived threats to officer safety.
For policing policy and prosecutorial practice, the case may prompt closer coordination on evidence collection in crowded, ephemeral incidents—ensuring body cameras and civilian footage are preserved and corroborated. It could also influence public expectations about when misdemeanor charges, rather than felonies, are the likely outcome in similar incidents involving minimal or ambiguous injuries.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | This Case | Typical Assault on Officer Cases (NYC) |
|---|---|---|
| Charge pursued | Felony assault declined; misdemeanor/violation pursued | Varies — felony pursued when clear physical injury |
| Evidence reviewed | Body camera + social media video | Body camera, victim statement, medical record |
| Immediate disposition | Supervised release after arraignment | Range from release to detention depending on charge |
The table illustrates how this case compares to patterns in police-assault prosecutions: felony charges are more likely when independent medical documentation and clear causation exist. Here, officials cited the presence of camera footage but said it did not definitively show a causal link between Coulibaly’s actions and reported officer symptoms.
Reactions & Quotes
Public officials and community members reacted quickly, reflecting the case’s political and civic sensitivity.
“We reviewed the available footage and medical reports before making charging decisions,”
Manhattan D.A. spokesperson
The D.A.’s office emphasized that its role is to weigh evidence against legal standards, not to respond to public pressure. That explanation came amid calls from some elected officials and activists for either firmer enforcement or, conversely, restraint to avoid criminalizing street play.
“Actions directed at officers are serious and will be evaluated,”
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch
The Police Commissioner framed the episode as an officer-safety matter, while Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly questioned whether the behavior met the threshold for criminal charges—an early sign of the dispute between City Hall and the department about appropriate responses.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Coulibaly intended to cause harm rather than participate in a disruptive prank remains unproven and is a matter for defense and prosecution to address in court.
- Precise medical diagnoses tying the reported redness and pain to a specific thrown snowball have not been publicly released or verified.
- The extent to which social media coverage influenced the timing of the arrest three days after the event has not been established.
Bottom Line
The Manhattan D.A.’s decision on Feb. 26, 2026 reflects the evidentiary limits prosecutors face in translating chaotic public encounters into felony convictions. While video and officer reports prompted an arrest and lower-level charges, authorities concluded they could not prove a direct causal injury sufficient for an assault felony.
Beyond the legal outcome, the episode exposed a rift between the mayor and police leadership about enforcement thresholds and will likely prompt calls for clearer guidance on handling similar spontaneous gatherings. For New Yorkers, the case is a reminder that not every charged incident will result in elevated criminal counts—the substance of evidence remains decisive.
Sources
- The New York Times — news reporting on the arrest, charges and prosecutorial decision.