Afternoon Fail: Brooklyn Teen Arrested For Assault With A Snowball

A Brooklyn teen was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon because he attacked a mailman.

Walter Ward, 16, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon – snowballs – and assault.

“He’s innocent and looks forward to the opportunity to resolve this matter,” defense lawyer Jacob Lipsky said following Ward’s arraignment last night in Brooklyn Criminal Court. Prosecutors said Ward not only hit postal carrier Russell Bumpurs with snowballs but pummeled the civil servant in the head and face with his fists. The 33-year-old victim’s injuries were serious enough to require medical attention.

The Wednesday afternoon beatdown happened while Bumpurs was delivering mail on E.54th St. in Flatlands. Bumpurs told cops that when he asked Ward to stop throwing snowballs at him, the teen attacked him, police said. Lipsky countered that other teenagers were responsible for the attack and that Ward intervened to stop it. Ward, who was also charged with menacing and harassment, was released to the custody of his mother last night. He refused to comment and covered his head with his jacket after leaving the courthouse. Judge Joanne Quinones issued an order of protection on behalf of Bumpurs and warned Ward he’d be arrested again if he went near the mailman.”Yes, ma’am,” Ward said when Quinones asked him if he understood.

Something sounds fishy about this. It sounds more like the kid threw ice as opposed to a snowball. In New York City, snow is only soft enough to create a "snowball" for a few hours after the storm. Once the cold sets in it becomes ice--dirty disgusting, black ice. That's probably more like what the kid thew, especially by the time the mailman came around. Ice, especially large ammounts of it, obviously hurts when someone beams it and if hit in the right spots it can knock someone out. So we're going to assume that the kid threw ice and not a snowball. In any event, let this be a lesson to people who think it's OK to attack random strangers (or anyone for that matter). Besides, who wants to get arrested for something as ridiculous as assault with a snowball? You'll never be able to live that down. [Carlton Jordan]