Day: October 17, 2024

Council Member Susan Zhuang made a brief court appearance on Tuesday as part of her ongoing case for allegedly biting a police officer during a protest last summer.

The pol was inside a Brooklyn Supreme Court courtroom for only a few minutes, according to news outlet The City, and her case was adjourned until January. A crowd of supporters greeted her on the sidewalk, holding American flags and signs that said “Stand With Susan Zhuang,” and “Equal Justice for Susan Zhuang.”

Zhuang was arrested this summer during a raucous protest against a planned homeless shelter in Gravesend. She has claimed she was protecting an 80-year-old protestor who was trapped against a police barricade when officers attempted to arrest her, pulled her hair and put her in a chokehold. During the altercation, Zhuang allegedly bit one NYPD officer so hard it broke the skin.

A day after her arrest, she pleaded not guilty to charges of assault, resisting arrest, obstructing government administration, and disorderly conduct and was released without bail. Last month, the City Council opened an ethics investigation into Zhuang’s behavior, though the probe is on hold as her case plays out in court. Charges from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office were still pending as of Oct. 16, a representative told Brooklyn Paper. 

Since her arrest, Zhuang — Brooklyn’s first Chinese-American council member – has received an outpouring of support from her constituents. Dozens of community members greeted her at a press conference when she returned to the district after her arraignment in July, and hundreds marched from Manhattan to Brooklyn in support of the council member later that month. 

Regular protests have continued outside the future shelter in Gravesend, too, and opponents have sworn to escalate their opposition if the city doesn’t scrap its plans. 

“I am grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support from my constituents and supporters beyond my district,” Zhuang told Brooklyn Paper in an email. “As Brooklyn’s first Chinese-American Council Member, I will always speak up for a community that for far too long has been under-represented and largely ignored.” 

Outside the courtroom on Tuesday, supporters told The City they felt Zhuang was justified in her actions during the protest, and that police were “making a big deal of this.” 

Local politicians have also spoken out in support of the council member, including Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Rodneyese Bichotte Hermelyn and Assembly Member William Colton, who has been beside the council member at multiple protests against the proposed shelter. 

Zhuang, a conservative Democrat, has always been vocally supportive of law enforcement. Both the NYPD’s Chief of Department and the head of the Police Benevolent Association expressed their surprise after Zhuang’s arrest in July, since she had previously been a “great partner” and “steadfast supporter” of the police. 

But Zhuang has claimed police were too rough, and “shouldn’t have [arrested her] in the first place.”

Colton agreed, telling Brooklyn Paper in August, “In Asian culture, protecting an elderly person is a very high principle. It’s a very high moral command. And the council member was trying to protect an elderly woman who was down.”

The Assembly Member also said the events surrounding the protest had damaged the community’s relationship with law enforcement “tremendously.” 

Despite public support, a Legal Defense Trust to “defray legal expenses” for Zhuang’s court case has not received any significant donations or spent any money since it was established in July, according to filings released by the city’s Conflict of Interest Board this week. The council member has received a number of donations in support of her 2025 re-election campaign since her arrest, filings show. 

“While we must respect the legal process, we will continue to organize and mobilize thousands of New Yorkers, particularly in the AAPI community, to ensure our community’s voice is heard and respected,” Zhuang added. “This is evident by the fact that we have registered over 3,000 new voters in the last few weeks who will have their voice heard loud and clear at the ballot box. And we are only getting started. I am very proud to be part of a community that continues to turn its pain into purpose.”

THE CITY AND UNION LOCALS on Wednesday announced a tentative contract agreement for thousands of child care providers.

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The basketball star signed a contract for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home at One Williamsburg Wharf, where units of that size start at $2 million.

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