Calls for arrests are mounting after a video showed a crowd pelting New York Police Department officers with snowballs in Lower Manhattan.
Now, influencer Haley Nicole is pushing back on what she calls overblown outrage.
The incident unfolded on Monday during a planned snowball meet-up in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village.
The Police Benevolent Association said those involved should face charges.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch condemned the episode on social media, writing, “The behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal. Our detectives are investigating this matter.”
As officials denounced the crowd’s behavior, Haley Nicole posted her own reaction on X.
“First off, everyone who’s crying about the cops getting snowballs thrown at them... try doing Onlyfans for a day 🤦♀️ I work day & night taking risky videos for my favorite subscribers... Being in a snowball fight is not an honest days work !!” she wrote.
Staten Island Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis also criticized the crowd, posting, “This is disgraceful. @NYCMayor and every elected official in our city should denounce this juvenile attack on our #NYPD. Back the blue and hold those who disrespect them accountable.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul weighed in with a statement of her own. “Our NYPD officers put themselves on the line to protect us every day. It is never acceptable to throw anything at a police officer, full stop,” she said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani struck a lighter tone while still urging respect for officers. “Officers, like all city workers, have been out in a historic blizzard, keeping New Yorkers safe and cars moving. Treat them with respect. If anyone's catching a snowball, it's me.”
