Incident During Homeless Shelter Protest
A New York City Council member was charged Wednesday with biting a police officer during a chaotic protest over the construction of a new homeless shelter in her district. Brooklyn Democrat Susan Zhuang was arraigned on a felony assault charge, along with various misdemeanors and violations, and subsequently released without bond.
Arrest and Allegations
Images and videos posted to social media depicted police clashing with protesters at the planned homeless shelter site. In one video, a woman appearing to be Zhuang is seen with other protesters trying to wrestle a barricade from police as an officer attempts to handcuff her. Another video shows Zhuang being led away by police in handcuffs.
According to a court complaint, when Zhuang and others were instructed to stop pushing barricades toward officers, she allegedly bit Deputy Police Chief Frank DiGiacomo’s forearm, broke his skin, and caused “substantial pain.” DiGiacomo sought treatment at a hospital following the incident.
Police Statements
The NYPD reported that Zhuang was blocking officers from reaching a woman on the ground. NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, speaking at an unrelated news conference, described Zhuang as a “great partner” with the NYPD for a long time. He expressed confusion over the allegations, saying, “I can’t explain it right now.”
Zhuang’s Response
Zhuang’s office has yet to comment, and it is unclear who represented her in court. Early Wednesday, Zhuang posted a video on the social media site X, showing people arguing with an officer about whether there was a permit for construction at the protest site.
