Zhuang defends actions, accuses NYPD of police brutality after protest arrest • Brooklyn Paper

Council Member Susan Zhuang defended her actions and accused police of excessive force a day after she was arrested and charged with assault for allegedly biting a police officer during a protest in Gravesend.

The council member was charged on July 17 with multiple counts of assault as well as resisting arrest, obstructing government administration, unlawful assembly, disorderly conduct, and harassment. She pleaded not guilty on all charges in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Wednesday, and was released without bail. She is set to return to court in October. 

Constituents greeted Zhuang warmly as she entered a press conference in Bensonhurst on July 18. She had been one of hundreds of protestors who gathered at the corner of 86th Street and 25th Avenue on Wednesday to rally against a homeless shelter slated to open there later this year, a number of whom were also arrested. 

She said she was “disappointed” with the events that had unfolded on Wednesday, and that she felt she “shouldn’t have been arrested in the first place.”

The conservative-leaning Democrat, who was elected to the City Council last year, claimed she was trying to help an 81-year-old woman who became stuck under a police barricade during the protest, and had asked police for assistance several times.

As they tried to remove the barricade, police approached Zhuang from behind, she said. 

“Two police officer handcuffed me, each hand,” she said. “I had one police officer pulling my hair. Another officer grabbed my neck.” 

Police have disputed Zhuang’s claims. An NYPD representative told Brooklyn Paper Zhuang blocked officers from reaching the woman stuck under the barricade, then shoved the barricade against them and bit an officer so hard it reportedly broke the skin.

Video posted online appears to show officers attempting to lift the barricade while two struggle to handcuff Zhuang. 

Zhuang said she has always supported the NYPD, citing her efforts to name a local elementary school after Wenjian Liu, a detective who was killed in the line of duty in 2014. 

Law enforcement officials largely agreed. At an unrelated press conference on Wednesday, NYPD Chief of Department John Chell said Zhuang had been a “great partner” to the department.

“But actions today, of assaulting one of our police officers, a deputy chief, by biting him viciously in the arm, I can’t explain it right now,” he said. 

In a statement, Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association — which endorsed Zhuang last year — said in a statement he was “extremely shocked” by Zhuang’s actions — especially because, he said, the council member has been a “steadfast supporter of the police.”

“There is never any excuse or justification for assaulting a police officer,” Hendry said. “There should be no double standard in this case. After a full and fair investigation, Councilmember Zhuang and anyone else involved must face full accountability for their conduct.” 

Citing Hendry’s statement, Zhuang said on Thursday that she agreed there should “be no double standard.” 

“All must face accountability for their conduct,” she said, including the police. The NYPD did not immediately return Brooklyn Paper’s request for comment on Friday. 

It is not yet clear what, if any, repercussions the council member will face at City Hall. While some of Zhuang’s colleagues have strongly criticized her, others held back. 

During an interview on Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams said he was “little surprised that this happened with the councilwoman,” given her past support for the police, and that he would be reaching out to her to talk further. Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, threw her support behind Zhuang, saying she appeared to be acting in self-defense.

“Susan did not intend to hurt anyone … and surely not the NYPD, as she has a longstanding record of supporting law enforcement and is endorsed by several police unions,” Bichotte Hermelyn said.

“Violence is never acceptable and it is always important to respect city workers doing their jobs,” a City Council representative said in a July 17 statement. “We have seen the public footage circulating of today’s incident, and will be seeking to learn more about the details. The Council will respect the processes of the NYPD and Brooklyn District Attorney with respect to this matter.”