Man arrested, accused of hurling snowball at police officer in Tallahassee
Tallahassee Police discharged pepper balls to disperse the crowd in College Town Wednesday
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – An apparent snowball fight escalated early Wednesday in College Town, leading police to discharge pepper balls and arrest one person.
The incident began after Tallahassee Police received complaints about a group of people lobbing snowballs at passing cars, according to a press release from the department. One driver said a snowball collided with their head at the 700 Block of Madison Street, police said.
Throwing a projectile into a moving vehicle is considered a felony and snowballs can be regarded as projectiles, according to authorities.
As an officer arrived to investigate, the snowy situation intensified.
“He too became a target, with both the officer’s patrol car and face being struck by an ‘ice projectile,’” the press release said.
The officer was walloped in the face once again with a snowball as he issued verbal warnings to the crowd over his patrol car’s PA system, authorities said.
The suspected snowballer fled into the crowd and the officer lost him. As additional officers arrived on the scene, they too became targets for the snowballers despite additional verbal warnings from police, the press release said.Default Mono Sans Mono Serif Sans Serif Comic Fancy Small CapsDefault X-Small Small Medium Large X-Large XX-LargeDefault Outline Dark Outline Light Outline Dark Bold Outline Light Bold Shadow Dark Shadow Light Shadow Dark Bold Shadow Light BoldDefault Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%Default Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%
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After more warnings, the officers discharged their pepper ball systems to disperse the crowd, TPD said.
One man, 22-year-old Garrett King, was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer for throwing a snowball at police, according to officials.
“While winter storms can be exciting, throwing hard “ice balls,” can be dangerous due to the hard impact when thrown and can be illegal,” the TPD press release said.
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1 arrested after snowballs thrown at Florida police officers, officials say
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The Brief
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- A crowd was dispersed by police with pepper balls after citizens complained of snowballs being thrown at passing cars in Tallahassee on Wednesday.
- Authorities said at least one person was arrested on a charge of battery on a law enforcement officer.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – One person was arrested after police officers in Florida were hit by snowballs on Wednesday, officials said.
What we know:
Officers of the Tallahasse Police Department were called to the 700 block of Madison Street after citizens complained about a group of people throwing “snowballs” at passing cars, according to a news release.
An occupant of one of the cars reported being struck in the head.
One of the officers who responded to the area to protect others became a target when both his patrol car and face were struck by what officials described as an “ice projectile.”
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The incident happened as the officer was issuing verbal warnings over the patrol car PA system.
Officials said a man ran towards the officer’s driver’s side window and threw a snow/iceball through the patrol car window, striking the officer in the face. The officer chased after the man but lost him as he ran into the crowd.
The police officer went on to tell the crowd to leave and stop throwing the “ice projectiles” but they continued, and other responding officers were reportedly struck.
The crowd continued to disregard officers’ commands, prompting police to fire pepper balls to disperse them.
Police confirmed no one was struck by the pepper balls.
What we don’t know:
During the incident, one person was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer. Additional details, including the person’s name, were not immediately released.
What they’re saying:
Authorities said it is a felony to throw a projectile into a moving vehicle.
“The Tallahassee Police Department reminds the public that while winter storms can be exciting, throwing hard “ice balls,” can be dangerous due to the hard impact when thrown and can be illegal,” officials said in a news release.
Florida Man Arrested After Hitting Police Officer in the Face With a Snowball
A snowball fight in Florida escalated into chaos when a police officer was struck in the face with an ice-packed snowball, leading to the arrest of a 22-year-old man.
Following a rare winter storm in Tallahassee on Wednesday, a group of people in College Town began throwing snowballs at passing cars on Madison Street, prompting citizen complaints and a police response, Fox 35 Orlando reported.
Authorities warned that throwing projectiles, including snowballs, into moving vehicles is a felony, but the situation escalated when participants targeted responding officers.
When officers arrived on the scene, one was hit in the face with a snowball after his patrol car was struck.
Despite verbal warnings over the PA system, the crowd ignored commands to disperse, and more officers were targeted by snowballs.
Police used pepper balls to break up the group without causing injuries, and Garrett King, 22, was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer.
The Tallahassee Police Department has emphasized the dangers of ice-packed snowballs, noting their potential to cause serious harm and their classification as illegal projectiles under Florida law.
