Rather than comply with her own arrest, the Democratic councilwoman physically resisted and attempted to break away from officers handcuffing her and even bit Deputy Chief of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South Frank DiGiacomo.
According to The New York Times, Zhuang, whose district includes the southern Brooklyn areas of Sunset Park, Dyker Heights, and Mapleton-Midwood, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, third-degree assault, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration.
Patrick Hendry, President of New York City’s Police Benevolent Association, told the Times, that he was "shocked by the reported violence," adding, "Councilmember Susan Zhuang has been a steadfast supporter of police officers during her time in the Council. There is never any excuse or justification for assaulting a police officer. There should be no double standard in this case."
As reported by The New York Post, police confirmed to the outlet that "multiple officers were assaulted" during the incident Wednesday morning. Zhuang can be seen in footage of the arrest tied to a barricade "screaming incoherently" per the Post as officers placed her under arrest.
Photographs taken by police show DiGiacomo's arm with teeth marks and clear lacerations. The Department wrote in the complaint that the chief was treated with an "anti-viral cocktail" and a tetanus shot, standard procedure for most departments in a biting incident.
BREAKING: NYC Councilwoman Susan Zhuang (D) caught on video BITING an NYPD officer pic.twitter.com/hy05ZVC67g
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 18, 2024
Prior to this incident, Zhuang enjoyed the endorsement of the NYC PBA during her 2023 election, quoting Hendry as saying, "Susan is committed to addressing the issues affecting New York City police officers." Hendry did not specify in his comments if Zhuang would be endorsed in the future.
Thanks @NYCPBA for your endorsement! I am excited to have the support of our City’s Finest @NYCPBA , who put their lives on the line every day to protect New Yorkers. My campaign has been focused on making our neighborhoods safer, and as Councilmember I will always support our… pic.twitter.com/0GXWm1EQOU
— Susan Zhuang 莊文怡 (@susanzhuangnyc) October 12, 2023
A source within the City Council told the Post that Zhuang's behavior is "disqualifying for a council member." The unnamed source added, “Violence against our cops is unacceptable and just because you are a member of the Common Sense Caucus doesn’t make it right at all."
They concluded, “Biting a cop is a felony. We need to back the blue, not bite the blue.”
NYC Councilmember Susan Zhuang returns to the shelter protest in Brooklyn on Wednesday after she was charged with felony assault for allegedly biting an NYPD officer hours earlier.
— Ali Bauman (@AliBaumanTV) July 18, 2024
I asked her about the allegations ⬇️https://t.co/9Jneyqb9fH@CBSNewYork @susanzhuangnyc pic.twitter.com/SCzbEirOQQ
The councilwoman was released after arraignment Wednesday and is scheduled to go before the court in October. She refused to comment to reporters but her attorney Sarah Krissoff implied that the charges would be dropped, saying "the facts" of the incident and arrest would come out.
Krissoff told reporters, “I’m confident that once the facts and circumstances come out about what happened this morning, the case will not proceed. We will wait for that process to unfold and do not want to get into the facts at this time.
“A lot of times during the course of arrests things happen. An attack on a police officer constitutes a felony charge and it’s charged as a felony. But I expect that the case will not proceed as charged.”
New York State Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, who attended the arraignment, claimed that the councilwoman was assaulted by officers and injured while helping an 80-year-old woman at the demonstration.
Hermelyn, who was not a witness to the events, told the Post, “From the video, you will see that she was attacked." She noted that though she wasn't present, “They grabbed her, choked her. And we don’t know who. We are not making allegations… When you’re in the midst of all of that, things happen.”
“Susan Zhuang, our council member, was there at a regular protest, fighting for her constituents at 5:30 a.m., where you had developers, who were there making noise, interrupting the neighborhood." Hermelyn concluded, "And this was a situation, where people who have the right to protest."
Comments