NY Democrat Council Member Arrested for Biting Cop at Protest

A New York City Councilwoman was arrested last Wednesday after she bit the NYPD deputy chief during a protest over the construction of a new homeless shelter in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Democrat Councilwoman Susan Zhuang was charged with felony assault and other misdemeanor violations and was released without bond after her arraignment.

Photos and videos from the protest, including a video posted by former Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, showed a large group of protesters outside of the construction site on 25th Avenue and 86 Street attempting to dismantle the barricade. An additional video posted on social media showed Zhuang being led away in handcuffs after she bit Deputy Chief Frank DiGiacomo on the arm.

A senior NYPD official told NBC New York that the bite on DiGiacomo’s arm was “pretty nasty.”

Before the biting incident, Zhuang posted a video on X showing the protesters demanding to see building permits for the homeless shelter. In her post, Zhuang claimed that there were no permits and blasted Mayor Eric Adams’ office for allowing construction on the shelter to begin at 5:00 a.m.

According to the arrest report, Zhuang had earlier blocked NYPD officers from reaching a woman who was on the ground.

In addition to felony assault, Zhuang was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing government administration.

When asked about Zhuang’s arrest during an unrelated press conference later that day, NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said the councilwoman had been a “great partner” of the NYPD’s for a long time and he couldn’t explain her actions.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office told NBC New York that the administration was committed to constructing the shelter since there were currently no homeless shelters in the Bensonhurst area.

The spokesperson also disputed the protesters’ claim that there were no valid permits for the construction.

The homeless shelter is expected to be completed before the end of the year.