LOWER MANHATTAN, Mahattan (WABC) — Mayor Zohran Mamdani is insisting that his relationship with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch remains strong, despite their differences over the snowball fight that injured NYPD officers on Monday night.
On Wednesday, the mayor was asked directly whether there’s a rift between him and the commissioner, who believes the people who pelted the officers with snowballs in Washington Square Park should be arrested and charged.
“I’ve said again and again of what I think it was,” Mamdani said.
Mayor Mamdani gave the same answers to the same questions on Wednesday, minimizing the melee in the park that left two police officers injured, and several others covered in snow and ice.
No one was arrested and the mayor clearly believes no one should be.
“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,” he said.
It happened on Monday, as the blizzard was winding down. Dozens of mostly teenagers and older college students hurled snowballs at one another after hearing about it on social media.
One witness told Eyewitness News that it started off as harmless fun but escalated when several young people began tossing snow from the roof of the park’s restrooms. The officers were confronted after they arrived to investigate.
“It wasn’t supposed to be violent. It was-it started out as-a very fun thing to do. And then, you know, it just escalated,” Rahul Nag said. “Some people were confused, I think because they thought they weren’t NYPD, they were ICE, or they were working with ICE.”
Tisch has ordered an investigation, and the department is now seeking at least four people for questioning. It’s a move that’s put her at odds with her boss in City Hall.
On Wednesday, the mayor sidestepped those questions.
“I’ve said again and again of my views on this snowball fight, and I’m appreciative of the work that my police commissioner does and the work that we are doing to keep New Yorkers safe across the city. And that’s the work that I’m looking forward to continuing,” he said.
Tisch did meet with Mamdani at City Hall on Wednesday, and told him the investigation is ongoing.
Former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said the mayor is jeopardizing his relationship with the department.
“Not to back up the men and women is really, really bad. It’s as bad as you can get,” Boyce said. “So, this is a seminal moment, right here and we’ll see how it goes from here. Because I think it’s important to understand just how important this is to the police department.”
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