BENSONHURST, Brooklyn (PIX11) — A Brooklyn council member was arrested for allegedly biting a police officer during a protest at a construction site for a homeless shelter Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Councilwoman Susan Zhuang allegedly assaulted the cop when a group of about 150 protesters clashed with police officers at the site at 2501 86th St. in Bensonhurst, according to the NYPD. A photo obtained by PIX11 News shows the reddish bite mark on the NYPD chief’s left forearm.
An NYPD chief was allegedly bitten by an NYC Council member at a protest against a Brooklyn homeless shelter on July 17, 2024. (Handout)
Zhuang, who has been outspoken about her opposition to the homeless shelter, will be arraigned on charges of assault, resisting arrest, and obstruction of governmental administration, police said. The councilwoman’s office said she was defending another protester at the rally.
“Council Member Zhuang was arrested while protecting an 80-year-old woman also protesting,” her spokesperson told PIX11 News.
The group opposes plans for the city to build a homeless shelter for single men in their neighborhood. Construction started early Wednesday morning, and many neighborhood residents were awoken by jackhammers at around 5 a.m., according to Zhuang’s spokesperson.
A video posted on Citizen App showed a large group of rowdy people holding signs in front of the building, which was barricaded off by police. One of the signs read, “Fight against proposed homeless shelter at 25 Ave & 86 St.”
Protesters grabbed and tossed the police barricades used for crowd control, another video posted by Oliya Scootercaster to X showed. Police officers detained several people.
Authorities said seven protesters were arrested at the scene, and six of them were released with a ticket.
Zhuang believes the neighborhood is not the best spot for the homeless shelter.
“It’s next to a school; there are five schools nearby, across the street, there’s a senior center here, also a day care center here. This is not the proper location,” Zhuang previously told PIX11 News.
The shelter is slated to open in late 2024.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
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