Second suspect arrested after NYC snowball fight sends 2 police officers to hospital

Second arrest made in Washington Square Park snowball fight that allegedly injured NYC police officers. Eric Wilson Jr., 18, charged with harassment. New York City Second suspect arrested after NYC snowball fight sends 2 police officers to hospital Eric Wilson Jr., 18, reportedly turned himself in Wednesday morning By Bonny Chu Fox News Published March 4, 2026 9:44pm EST Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Mamdani claims snow attack on NYPD officers 'looks like a snowball fight' Fox News host Will Cain criticizes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's response to NYPD officers being pummeled by snow, claiming it looked to be a snowball fight to him, on 'The Will Cain Show.' NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A second person was arrested Wednesday in connection with last week’s chaotic snowball fight in Washington Square Park, during which multiple police officers were struck and injured by flying snowballs, police reportedly said. Eric Wilson Jr., 18, was charged with misdemeanor obstructing government administration and harassment, the New York Police Department (NYPD) said, Fox 5 New York reported. Wilson turned himself in Wednesday morning, according to the New York Post."This second arrest sends an important message," Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), said. "These shameful attacks on our police officers last week were serious. It wasn't a game. It didn't end when the snow melted. This was a vicious attack on our police officers and, our police officers, it had consequences on them." The snowball fight erupted last Monday as an organized event promoted on social media. When NYPD officers reportedly arrived to contain the crowd, they were pelted with snowballs that allegedly contained rocks. Two officers went to the hospital for treatment of head and facial injuries, the PBA said. Authorities arrested Gusmane Coulibaly as the first suspect connected to last week's snowball fight in New York City. (Credit: X/@@NYPDnews/@BGOnTheScene) Following the incident, authorities released images of four individuals and made their first arrest three days later. Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, was the first suspect taken into custody and was initially charged with felony assault on a police officer. However, prosecutors declined to pursue a felony assault charge, saying there was no proof the officers’ injuries were directly caused by Coulibaly, Fox 5 reported. His charges were reduced to misdemeanor obstruction of government administration and harassment, the outlet said. NYPD added that Coulibaly was arrested less than three weeks before the incident for an attempted robbery in the transit system. NYPD RELEASES PHOTOS OF SNOWBALL-WIELDING SUSPECTS WITH FACIAL HAIR AFTER MAMDANI CLAIMS ATTACKERS WERE 'KIDS' Snow was hurled at NYPD officers during a blizzard in New York City. (@BGonthescene/X) Hendry claimed that the snowballs thrown contained ice and rocks, resulting in injuries to multiple officers."This was not just a ‘snowball fight.’ This was an assault — by adults throwing chunks of ice and rocks — that landed two police officers in the hospital with head and face injuries," Hendry previously said in a statement. In a post on social media, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch added the participants involved should be punished for their "disgraceful" and "criminal" actions. "I want to be very clear," Tisch said. "The behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal. Our detectives are investigating this matter." NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said that the incident in which NYPD officers were pelted with snow and ice was a snowball fight that "got out of hand." (NYPD; Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo)New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that while police officers should be treated with respect, the individuals involved should not face charges."As the mayor has said, police officers deserve to be treated with respect," his spokesperson said. "The videos he saw showed a snowball fight that got out of hand. He does not believe this situation rises to the level of criminal charges." CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP On the other hand, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul struck a firmer tone, saying criminal charges appear to be appropriate. "Our police officers put themselves in harm’s way every single day, and there is no circumstance where it’s OK to throw anything at a police officer," Hochul said, according to Fox 5. Related Article NFL reporter criticizes Mamdani's downplay of snowball attack on NYPD officers Bonny Chu is a Digital Production Assistant at Fox News Digital. Related Topics New York CityCrimePolice and Law Enforcement True Crime The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal. Arrives Weekly By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time. Subscribe Subscribed Subscribe You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!