A snowball fight in New York City is at the center of a controversial Feb. 26 arrest of a young Black man who police said pelted them with snow and chunks of ice, causing injuries. But a series of viral videos is casting doubt.
A woman who goes by Stella Magz on social media claims the NYPD blatantly lied to frame YouTube prankster Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, to “send a message” to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The mayor dismissed the incident as “kids” having a snowball fight that simply “got out of hand.” According to Stella — and many commenters online — his words ruffled the NYPD, and now “they’re trying to ruin someone’s life” by making an example of Coulibaly.
Coulibaly appeared in court on the day of his arrest, but prosecutors were unable to prove that he caused physical injury to an officer. Manhattan’s District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office dropped the felony assault charge. He still faces a misdemeanor charge of obstructing government administration and a harassment violation…