Police arrested Gusmane Coulibaly, a 27-year-old man who considers himself a social media personality, on Thursday in connection with a snowball fight at Washington Square Park that left two NYPD officers injured.
Police said Coulibaly was charged with obstructing governmental administration and harassment and was awaiting arraignment Thursday evening, The New York Post reported. The Monday gathering, promoted on social media, drew a large crowd and prompted a heavy police response after officers were pelted with snow and ice.
Two uniformed officers were treated for minor injuries, including a bruised eye and a headache, police said. Coulibaly, who posts online under the name “Diaperman,” was one of four suspects pictured in surveillance images released by the NYPD after video of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Manhattan prosecutors declined to pursue an assault charge against Coulibaly, instead charging him with misdemeanor obstructing governmental administration and a harassment violation, Gothamist reported.
At his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday evening, Coulibaly was released on supervised release.
Prosecutors said that after reviewing the evidence, they were unable to prove that an officer suffered a physical injury caused directly by Coulibaly’s conduct and therefore did not include an assault charge. They said the investigation remains ongoing.
About a dozen uniformed officers attended the proceeding along with union leadership, including Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry.
“This was a blatant attack on the uniform that they wear so proudly every day,” Hendry said after the arraignment.
Coulibaly was represented by defense attorney George Vomvolakis, who disputed that characterization.
“It didn’t look like an attack to me,” he said, referring to the video of the incident.
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Coulibaly was also arrested Feb. 6 in a separate case at a Bronx subway station and charged with attempted robbery, attempted petit larceny, and harassment, according to police and court records.
Authorities said Coulibaly told officers that the incident was a prank.
Video from the subway encounter shows a man approaching a stranger and demanding money, saying, “When you gonna pay up the money?”
The other man insists it is a case of mistaken identity, but the exchange continues.
“If I get mad I’m gonna have to run your pockets,” the man says before plainclothes officers intervene and arrest him.
The victim told police he feared for his safety, according to sources.
Coulibaly pleaded not guilty in the Bronx case and was released on his recognizance. He is due back in court on March 15.
The snowball incident drew political attention after Mayor Zohran Mamdani characterized it as a snowball fight that got out of hand.
“As the mayor has said, police officers deserve to be treated with respect,” mayoral representative Dora Pekec 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.”
The Police Benevolent Association criticized that assessment.
“A 27-year-old is not a ‘kid,’ @NYCMayor,” the union wrote on X. “This individual is an adult with a recent attempted robbery arrest, and your message was that it’s OK for him to assault police officers for doing their job. This arrest sends a different message. We’re grateful to all who have worked so hard on this case. There is more work to be done to hold accountable all who participated in this shameful attack.”
