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NYPD charges 18-year-old in viral Washington Square Park snowball fight
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Charles Lane
Published Mar 4, 2026
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Photo by Ryan Murphy/Getty Images
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Charles Lane
Published Mar 4, 2026
Share
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Police have arrested a second person in connection with a snowball fight in Washington Square Park, where members of a large crowd pelted two NYPD officers with snowballs after last week’s historic blizzard, department officials said Wednesday.
Eric Wilson Jr., 18, is facing charges of obstructing government administration and harassment for the Feb. 23 incident, police said. Officials said he threw one of the snowballs that hit one of the officers.
Wilson lives in East Harlem and turned himself in at the Sixth Precinct stationhouse in the West Village around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the NYPD. His attorney information was not immediately available.
Wilson’s arrest follows that of 27-year-old social media influencer Gusmane Coulibaly last week, whom police initially charged with assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and obstructing government administration for the incident.
Manhattan prosecutors dropped the assault charge, saying they could not prove an officer was injured as a direct result of his alleged conduct. A judge granted Coulibaly supervised release.
Footage of the two officers being hit with multiple snowballs went viral. Someone had called 911 to report the crowd, which was participating in an organized snowball fight in the park following the winter storm.
The incident attracted international attention and made waves among residents, police and city officials, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani facing scrutiny over his response to the episode. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the incident “disgraceful” and “criminal,” while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said it was “never acceptable to throw anything at a police officer, full stop.”
This story is based on preliminary information from police and may be updated.
Tagged
manhattan
nypd
public safety
washington square park
west village
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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