A New York City Councilwoman was arrested yesterday for allegedly biting a police officer during at a chaotic protest against the construction of a new homeless shelter in Brooklyn, police said, as quoted by the Associated Press and BTA.
Susan Zhuang has been charged with assault, resisting arrest and obstruction, a police spokesman said.
Zhuang's office did not respond to The AP's request for comment. To other media outlets, the councilwoman's office explained that Zhuang, who is a Democrat, was trying to protect a woman who was at the protest.
Photos and videos posted on social media from the South Brooklyn protest show police clashing with demonstrators at the site of a planned homeless shelter. In one of the videos, a woman who looks like Zhuang is filmed trying to break through a police barricade with other protesters as an officer tries to handcuff her. Another video shows Zhuang being led away by police in handcuffs.
Police, citing an arrest report, said Zhuang prevented officers from reaching a woman who was lying on the ground, shoved officers and eventually bit an officer who was trying to arrest her.
Early yesterday morning, Zhuang posted a video on “X“, which appears to have been filmed while she was arguing with a police officer.