NYC Council member allegedly bites NYPD official at Brooklyn protest
NEW YORK - A New York City Council member faces assault charges for allegedly biting an NYPD deputy chief during a protest in Brooklyn Wednesday morning.
City Councilmember Susan Zhuang allegedly bit the NYPD official hard enough to leave teeth mark impressions in the skin.
Zhuang was one of seven people who were arrested. She has been charged with felony assault, obstruction of governmental administration and resisting arrest.
Zhuang's office says she was arrested while "protecting an 80-year-old woman also protesting."
Chaotic scene erupts amid homeless shelter protest
It happened amid chaotic confrontations between protesters and police in Bensonhurst, where construction is beginning on a new homeless shelter at 86th Street and 25th Avenue. For many months, community members there have spoken out about the proposed shelter.
"They don't want a homeless shelter here in their backyard," Steve Chan of a local community patrol said.
State Senator Iwen Chu said the community feels ignored and has been contacting the mayor's office for months.
"We just need a transparent plan. They're proposing a shelter over here. However, other than that sentence, we haven't heard anything," Chu said.
The mayor's office says the community there has no shelter resources, and this will be the first, and that the community was notified in November 2023 about the plans. The shelter will provide services like counseling, employment assistance, and have around-the-clock security with 74 cameras.
Protesters said they feel it's too close to their schools and day cares and their transit hub.
"They never, never ask us what we want," one protester said.
"We do wanna help the homeless. They need help, but the way the programming is, it's wasteful," Assemblyman Lester Chang said.
City Hall said Mayor Eric Adams is committed to building the shelter.
What led to the incident
"Councilmember Susan trying to protect a senior lady who fell on the ground, and then I don't know who pushed – it just was chaos," Larry He, chief of staff for Assemblyman Bill Colton said.
Video shows Zhuang handcuffed against a metal barricade, with the NYPD on the other side.
The NYPD set up the metal barricade overnight around the site of the planned shelter. As the morning progressed, construction crews could be seen putting up wood barriers around the site for planned demolition work. Department of Building work permits were displayed.
Hundreds gathered in front of the shelter site for up to 150 single men, and vowed not to leave.
"An 80-year-old woman was protesting. She laid herself under the barricade, and then when we asked her to leave, she said she wasn't feeling well. What we did as an agency, we called for an ambulance for her. It was at that time when the barricade started getting pushed," NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said. "Some of the protesters started pushing the barricades and, preliminarily, we have video showing the chief standing there trying to thwart that, with his arms up and the councilwoman biting him in the arm."
Twelve hours after her arrest, Zhuang returned to the protest, receiving a rapturous welcome.
"They are not able to stop me," she told protesters through a bullhorn.
CBS New York's Ali Bauman asked Zhuang if she bit the police officer.
"That, talk to our lawyer. The truth will come out," she said.
Tony Yang was one of the six other protesters arrested. He later rejoined the crowd, wearing a hospital gown.
"They ripped up my shirt," he said.
His father was brought to tears while listening to his son describe what he claims was an aggressive arrest.
"He saw me getting pinned down by, like, five cops, and he tried to protect me," Yang said.
"Violence is never acceptable"
"Violence is never acceptable and it is always important to respect city workers doing their jobs. We have seen the public footage circulating of today's incident, and will be seeking to learn more about the details. The Council will respect the processes of the NYPD and Brooklyn District Attorney with respect to this matter," a City Council spokesperson said.
"We are extremely shocked by the reported violence against NYPD members at today's protest in Brooklyn, especially since Councilmember Susan Zhuang has been a steadfast support of police officers during her time in the Council," PBA President Patrick Hendry said. "There is never any excuse or justification for assaulting a police officer. There should be no double standard in this case. After a full and fair investigation, Councilmember Zhuang and anyone else involved must face full accountability for their conduct."
So far, there's been no further comment from Zhuang's office.