Brooklyn Councilwoman Susan Zhuang (D) bit off more than she could chew when she accused [1] the NYPD of “brutality” and “Asian hate” following her arrest for assaulting a cop during a violent clash at a protest over a planned homeless shelter in her district. Zhuang (D-43) accused the NYPD of mishandling the protest and engaging in acts of violence against innocent citizens.
Zhuang, who represents the new majority-Asian district, was arrested on charges of assault and resisting arrest on Wednesday in Gravesend for protesting against the construction of a men’s shelter in the area.
Local residents in Bensonhurst are protesting a homeless shelter that was being opened at 5AM with NO consent from the community, or their Council Member Susan Zhuang! Zhuang stood up for her community, and was arrested this morning protesting this shelter. WE STAND WITH SUSAN… pic.twitter.com/tCdTYD0jCp [2]
— Curtis Sliwa (@CurtisSliwa) July 17, 2024 [3]
The deputy chief of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South, Frank DiGiacomo, was allegedly bitten by Zhuang and was one of the officers who handcuffed her.
BREAKING: NYC Councilwoman Susan Zhuang (D) caught on video BITING an NYPD officer pic.twitter.com/hy05ZVC67g [4]
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 18, 2024 [5]
“I tried to help her and I was approached from behind. Two police officers handcuffed me, each hand, and one police officer [was] pulling my hair, and another officer grabbed my neck,” she claimed.
Zhuang claims that her arrest was unwarranted and that she was only trying to help an elderly woman who was stuck under a barricade, but several videos from the confrontation dispute her claims. In fact, Zhuang’s anti-NYPD rhetoric is even more appalling since she has previously been supportive of the law enforcement agency.
In the past, she even opposed the controversial How Many Stops Act [6] that required a comprehensive accounting of all NYPD street stops, investigative encounters, and consent searches.
Mayor Eric Adams called Zhuang’s arrest “complicated” and reached out to her because she is still new in her capacity as a councilmember. The rising support that Zhuang received from constituents is raising eyebrows in the city council. However, she still faces charges of assault and disorderly conduct and is scheduled to appear in court on October 15.