Police arrested a city councilwoman protesting the building of a homeless shelter in Brooklyn saying she bit a police officer.
ABC7 News reports Susan Zhuang faces charges of second and third-degree assault along with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and second-degree harassment.
“Councilwoman Zhuang has been a great partner with the NYPD for a long time,” chief of patrol John Chell said. “But the actions today, by assaulting one of our police officers, a deputy chief, by biting him viciously in the arm, I can’t explain it right now.”
Prior to her arrest, Zhuang posted a video on X asking to see the permits to build the shelter, saying there were none.
Zhuang’s communication director Zhuang Felix Tager defended her boss to Politico saying she was coming to the assistance of a senior citizen.
“Zhuang was arrested after trying to protect an 80-year-old woman” who he said was being pushed up against the barricades.
Police however told a different story saying the elderly woman had laid down under the barricade. She told police she was not feeling well so they called an ambulance during which the barricades began being pushed.
The city later confirmed the shelter had the proper permits.
Protesters say they fear that shelter will have a negative impact on the neighborhood.
“This is right in their backyards, in the middle of a residential neighborhood. There are better places to put this homeless shelter than right here,” said State Senate candidate Steve Chan to NBC New York.
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