Assemblywoman Susan Zhuang Arrested for Biting NYPD Deputy Chief During Protest Against Homeless Shelters
An angry congresswoman allegedly bit an NYPD deputy chief during a screaming exchange with police during a protest against homeless shelters in Brooklyn, officials and video of the incident showed. Police confirmed that Assemblywoman Susan Zhuang (D-43) was arrested Wednesday morning on charges of second- and third-degree assault and resisting arrest during a Residents Against Homeless Shelters demonstration in Gravesend.
Charges and Confrontation
Zhuang, 38, allegedly tried to stop police from speaking to another woman at a protest by grabbing a police barricade and pushing her toward officers, biting the Brooklyn congresswoman while trying to pull her away from the barrier. The arm of Southern District Patrol Deputy Chief Frank DiGiacomo. Police confirmed to The Washington Post by phone that “multiple officers were attacked” during Wednesday morning’s demonstrations and that several other demonstrators were also detained. Zhuang was also charged with obstructing government administration.
Public Outrage and Community Response
Just a few months ago, more than 2,000 New Yorkers, outraged by the city’s plans to build homeless shelters in Brooklyn neighborhoods, attacked City Hall. Residents, many waving signs and American flags, fear the planned 32-room shelter, designed to house up to 150 adult men, will become a magnet for drugs, crime, and other problems when it opens later this year. Leading the effort were Assemblymembers William Colton (D-47) and Chong, opponents of the plan who organized the rally so large it spilled into City Hall Park. Zhuang said at the time that the new shelter proposed for 2501 86th Street and 25th Avenue in Gravesend would be built as a hotel with a community center and then contracted by the city. Zhuang claims the city pushed through the plan without consulting neighbors.
