Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has dropped assault charges against Gusmane Coulibaly, a 27-year-old influencer accused of throwing snowballs at police officers in Washington Square Park. The incident, which occurred earlier this week, saw New Yorkers pelting officers with snow and ice after police were called to manage crowds.
Prosecutors said they could not prove Coulibaly caused a physical injury to an officer, leading to the dismissal of the assault charge. However, Officer Nicholas Johnson reportedly suffered redness in his eye and pain in his head and neck. Coulibaly now faces a misdemeanour charge of obstructing government administration and a harassment violation.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's spokesperson, Dora Pekec, said the mayor believes the situation does not warrant criminal charges, describing it as a snowball fight that got out of hand. In contrast, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the events “criminal” and “disgraceful,” a view supported by police unions. Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry labelled the incident a “blatant attack on the uniform.”
Coulibaly's attorney, George Vomvolakis, rejected that characterisation, stating, “It didn't look like an attack to me.” Coulibaly, who posts under the name Diaper Man, was previously arrested for an unrelated attempted robbery in the transit system. He is on supervised release with a next court date of 9 April.
