1 arrested after snowballs thrown at Florida police officers, officials say

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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."

MORE NEWS:

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. 

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Tallahassee Police Department. 

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