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An NYPD chief filed a lawsuit against a New York City Councilwoman for allegedly biting him at a protest in Brooklyn.
Council Member Susan Zhuang, a Democrat, had her criminal case dismissed after she completed a “restorative justice process.”
“Zhuang was charged with second degree assault, a felony, and seven other charges following an early morning protest in July in her Southern Brooklyn district,” POLITICO noted.
However, Frank DiGiacomo, deputy chief of Patrol Brooklyn South, filed a lawsuit against Zhuang after the dismissal of criminal charges.
NEW: NYPD Deputy Chief Frank DiGiacomo served Councilwoman Susan Zhuang with a lawsuit April 9, a day after criminal charges against her for biting him were dismissed following a “restorative justice” program meeting between the two arranged by Brooklyn DAhttps://t.co/tYcL2FRRdB
— Rich Calder (@Rich_Calder) April 19, 2025
From the New York Post:
Frank DiGiacomo, deputy chief of Patrol Brooklyn South, served his Brooklyn Supreme Court lawsuit against Councilwoman Susan Zhuang (D-Brooklyn) at her Gravesend home on April 9, a day after criminal charges were dismissed against her for the bloody assault, according to court records.
Before the criminal case was dropped, Zhuang, 39, and DiGiacomo met as part of a “restorative justice” program, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office.
The face-to-face and ultimate dismissal of the criminal charges was “based on the wishes of the victim and the defendant’s willingness to make amends,” Brooklyn DA spokesman Oren Yaniv said in a statement at the time.
“This case was resolved through a restorative justice process that created space for dialogue, accountability, and healing,” touted the statement.
But despite the apparent kumbaya moment, DiGiacomo is proceeding with the lawsuit accusing Zhuang of negligence and of leaving him “permanently injured” and suffering from great “trauma and distress,” court records show.
New: Susan Zhuang had her case dismissed for biting an NYPD deputy chief while protesting against a homeless shelter. https://t.co/p9Pi1HBvOy
— Jeff Coltin (@JCColtin) April 8, 2025
Brooklyn DA drops charges against Council Member Susan Zhuang who bit NYPD chief — instead opts for ‘restorative justice’ https://t.co/5XNV7M16nd pic.twitter.com/kUsI6Toftx
— New York Post (@nypost) April 10, 2025
POLITICO reports:
Zhuang is a Democrat and a member of the conservative-leaning Common Sense Caucus, along with Republican council members. She has aligned herself with the NYPD and was endorsed by the Police Benevolent Association in 2023, so her headline-grabbing assault shocked police brass.
“Councilwoman Zhuang has been a great partner to the New York City Police Department for a long time,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said at a press conference after her arrest. “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.”
Months before her arrest, a crowd of mostly elderly Asian American New Yorkers had been gathering outside a vacant building in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, banging pots and pans in opposition to the city’s plans to contract out the site as a shelter for 150 men. Zhuang has helped organize the protests, which have continued for more than a year.
Zhuang is of Chinese descent, and she received energetic support in her community after the arrest. The legal defense fund she opened to help cover the expenses raised more than $65,000 in three months.
The dismissal was unconditional, and the case won’t remain on Zhuang’s record. But the possibility remains that she could face sanctions from the City Council. The body’s Committee on Standards and Ethics opened an investigation into the incident in September but put all proceedings on hold until the case was resolved in court.
Zhuang is up for reelection this year and is running unopposed.