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 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."
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.