Earlier, the NYPD announced it had arrested a suspect in Monday’s chaotic Washington Square Park snowballing incident, where police officers were pelted repeatedly with snowballs — some reportedly the size of small boulders — after responding to complaints about unruly behavior at a post-blizzard gathering.

The suspect, 27-year-old Gusmane Coulibaly, was taken into custody. The NYPD also noted that he had a recent prior arrest, a detail that seems to pop up in these stories with remarkable consistency.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called what happened “disgraceful” and “criminal,” and initially confirmed Coulibaly was charged with assault. But in a move that surprised exactly no one, Manhattan prosecutors decided not to pursue that charge.

Instead, prosecutors reduced the case to misdemeanor obstructing government administration and a harassment violation related to the viral snowball fight at Washington Square Park. Coulibaly was arraigned Thursday evening in Manhattan Criminal Court and released on supervised release.

In court, prosecutors explained that after reviewing the evidence, they could not prove an officer suffered a physical injury directly caused by Coulibaly’s actions, and therefore dropped the assault charge. They added that the investigation is still ongoing.

Given how Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani previously downplayed the incident, and now with this charging decision, it is unlikely to calm the nerves of New Yorkers already frustrated with the Manhattan District Attorney’s soft-on-crime approach. Apparently, throwing objects at police officers is only serious if it leaves the right kind of paperwork behind.

It will now come down to whether additional video angles and evidence from the scene produce clearer proof of assault for other suspects still being sought by the NYPD. Until then, Big Apple residents can once again enjoy the familiar routine: arrests announced, charges watered down, and accountability gently placed on ice.