Mamdani again downplays NYPD ambush as snowball fight ‘that got out of hand’

By Fox News · Fox News

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani once again downplayed an attack in which several New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers were pelted with snow. While speaking to reporters Wednesday, Mamdani was again asked about the viral incident. Before touching on the ambush, Mamdani credited the NYPD with playing a major role in the city's blizzard response. The mayor said that what he saw on the videos circulating rapidly online was a snowball fight that "got out of hand." While he added that police, as well as all city workers, "deserve respect," Mamdani did not condemn the incident further. This was not the first time Mamdani had downplayed the incident as a snowball fight gone wrong. On Tuesday, he also said the videos appeared to show "kids having a snowball fight." MAMDANI MINIMIZES SNOWBALL ATTACK ON NYPD, OPPOSES CHARGES DESPITE HOSPITALIZATIONS Mamdani previously said he did not believe the alleged perpetrators should face assault charges and reiterated the point again on Wednesday, saying, "I've said that what I saw was a snowball fight. It should be treated accordingly. It was one that got out of hand. But that's what it was." While the mayor has spoken out against charging the alleged assailants, the NYPD posted pictures of the suspects saying they were "wanted for assault on a police officer." Additionally, as the videos circulated online, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement on X that "the behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal." Tisch added that detectives were investigating the matter. On Monday afternoon, several NYPD officers were pelted with snowballs when responding to a call about a disorderly crowd inside Washington Square Park. The NYPD said the officers sustained injuries to their head, neck and face after being struck "multiple times with snow and ice." No arrests have been made in the snowball attacks, according to officials. NYPD RELEASES PHOTOS OF SNOWBALL-WIELDING SUSPECTS WITH FACIAL HAIR AFTER MAMDANI CLAIM…