New York councilwoman Susan Zhuang arrested for biting police chief at protest

A New York councilwoman was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly biting a New York City Police Department chief during a chaotic protest over the construction of a new homeless shelter in Brooklyn, police said.

The councilwoman, Susan Zhuang, is being charged with assault, resisting arrest and obstruction, a police spokeswoman said.

The first-term conservative Democrat bit the chief in the arm, leaving an impression of her teeth in his skin, according to the NYPD.

Zhuang’s office did not immediately return a voicemail and email seeking comment. Her office has told other media outlets that Zhuang, a Democrat, was trying to protect a woman who was at the protest.

Images and video posted to social media of the protest in south Brooklyn showed police clashing with protesters at the planned site for a homeless shelter.

In one video, a woman who appears to be Zhuang can be seen alongside other protesters trying to wrestle a barricade away from police as an officer tries to handcuff her.

Another video appears to show Zhuang being led away by police in handcuffs.

Police, citing an arrest report, said Zhuang was blocking officers from getting to a woman on the ground, and that Zhuang pushed officers and eventually bit an officer as the officer tried to grab her.

Zhuang posted a video to the social media site X, formerly Twitter, early on Wednesday that appeared to show her at the site, arguing with an officer, with a caption that read:“There is no permits. Mayor office allowed construction at 5am in our neighbourhood.”

Additional reporting by Tribune News Service