NYC councilmember arrested for biting a police officer at protest against shelter, NYPD says

A city councilmember was arrested on Wednesday morning for allegedly biting a police officer and resisting arrest during a protest against a homeless shelter, police said.

NYPD officials said Councilmember Susan Zhuang was participating in a protest on 86th Street and 25th Avenue against a proposed facility at the site.

Officials said Zhuang was preventing officers from getting to a woman who was on the ground, and said she grabbed and pushed barricades in the officers’ direction. At some point during the clash, which occurred at around 7 a.m., police said Zhuang bit a uniformed officer. Zhuang’s office, though, suggested an officer was covering her mouth with his hand.

Police said about 150 people were participating in the protest, and several others were arrested, though police could not immediately say how many and what their charges were.

Zhuang — who represents the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Dyker Heights, Gravesend and Sunset Park — was charged with assault in the second and third degrees, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration.

Zhuang’s spokesperson Felix Tager said the councilmember’s staff was still trying to understand exactly what had happened at the protest – and where exactly Zhuang was being held. She had not been arraigned as of 2 p.m.

“The councilmember was arrested in the process of trying to help an elderly woman who had fallen in the barricades and was being pushed against them and then fell,” Tager said, adding that video then shows an officer putting his arm around Zhuang, covering her mouth and pulling her hair.

He said the protest began in an impromptu fashion when community members heard construction workers jackhammering at the site early Wednesday morning.

“Our main focus is making sure that everyone at the protest was safe, and everyone that was arrested is able to get home safely,” Tager said.

In a conversation with a Gothamist reporter on Tuesday, Zhuang expressed concern over the shelter.

“I agree to help homeless people, but we cannot put 150 single men with mental illness next to our elementary schools,” Zhuang said the day before the protest. “I don't want anyone to get hurt because of this issue. I have to make sure everyone is safe in my district.”

State Sen. Iwen Chu also weighed in on the issue on X Wednesday afternoon, saying the protest underscored the community's “urgent concerns” about the shelter plans. Chu called on Mayor Eric Adams’ office to be transparent and answer the lingering questions.

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and City Councilmember Justin Brannan issued a joint statement on Wednesday afternoon, referring to Zhuang's actions as "deeply disturbing and unbecoming of an elected official."

"Anything less than full accountability will set a dangerous precedent. The law must be applied fairly and fully regardless of Council Member Zhuang’s status as an elected official or her self-portrayal as a champion of law and order," the statement said. "We support everyone's right to protest and have their voices heard. But hateful rhetoric and violence crosses the line."

The mayor’s office did not comment directly on Zhuang’s arrest, but said the shelter fills a dire need for the neighborhood.

“Every community must have the resources they need to support their most vulnerable neighbors, and this community has no shelters,” said mayoral spokesperson William Fowler. “We maintain open lines of communication with the community and remain committed to ongoing engagement to address the neighborhoods’ needs.”

This story has been updated with a joint statement from state Sen. Andrew Gounardes and City Councilmember Justin Brannan.