New York City police investigating after officers were hit with snowballs during a snowball fight

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NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police are investigating after officers were pelted with snowballs while responding to a massive snowball fight at Washington Square Park in Manhattan.

A video of the fracas shows two uniformed officers pacing a walkway in the park Monday as snowballs fly at them from all directions, hitting the officers and covering them in snow.

The officers, growing visibly frustrated, shoved at least two people to the ground as snowballs continued to whizz by. At one point, a person runs up behind an officer and mushes some snow onto his head. One of the officers can be seen rubbing his eye toward the end of the video.

In a statement Tuesday, the New York Police Department said multiple uniformed officers were struck in the face with snowballs and were "removed by EMS in stable condition" to a nearby hospital, but did not disclose additional information on their injuries.

Jessica Tisch, the city’s police commissioner, called the behavior “disgraceful” and “criminal" and said the department is investigating. Police have released images of two people the department is searching for in connection with the incident, asking for the public's help to identify them.

Several political figures in the city were quick to denounce the dustup, with many of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s critics seizing on the incident as evidence that respect for law enforcement has declined under the new mayor, who faced attacks during his campaign over criticisms he made of the department in 2020. Mamdani has walked back those past remarks.

Mamdani, in a post on X on Tuesday, wrote, “Officers, like all city workers, have been out in a historic blizzard, keeping New Yorkers safe and cars moving. Treat them with respect. If anyone’s catching a snowball, it’s me.”

At a news conference later in the day, Mamdani appeared to downplay the situation when a reporter asked if he thought anyone should face criminal charges.

“From the videos that I’ve seen, it looks like a snowball fight,” he said.

The head of the city’s largest police union called Mamdani’s response a “complete failure of leadership.”

“This was not just a ‘snowball fight.’ This was an assault,” Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said in a statement, adding, “By ignoring their injuries and dismissing the incident, the mayor has sent a disgraceful message to every police officer who serves this city."