By: Nick Carroway

City Councilwoman Susan Zhuang may have dodged criminal charges for allegedly biting an NYPD chief at a protest, but she isn’t entirely in the clear just yet. As the New York Post originally reported, Deputy Chief Frank DiGiacomo has filed a civil lawsuit against the Brooklyn lawmaker, despite the dismissal of her criminal case.

The Post exclusively reported that DiGiacomo personally served the councilwoman with legal papers on April 9 at her home in Gravesend—just one day after criminal charges tied to the July protest incident were formally dropped. The civil action, filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court, accuses Zhuang of negligence and claims she left DiGiacomo “permanently injured” and deeply traumatized.

Zhuang, 39, had been arrested during a heated demonstration last summer opposing a proposed homeless shelter in Bensonhurst. She was charged with assault and resisting arrest after allegedly biting DiGiacomo while he was helping hold barricades in place. The NYPD veteran later claimed he needed a tetanus shot and cited ongoing physical and emotional suffering, according to court documents obtained by the Post.

Though criminal charges were eventually dismissed, that decision followed a rare “restorative justice” process—one that included a face-to-face meeting between Zhuang and DiGiacomo, arranged by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. “This case was resolved through a restorative justice process that created space for dialogue, accountability, and healing,” DA spokesperson Oren Yaniv said in a statement reported by the Post.

Yaniv emphasized that the outcome was “based on the wishes of the victim and the defendant’s willingness to make amends,” a position that suggested both parties were ready to move on—at least in the criminal realm. However, as the Post exclusively learned, DiGiacomo clearly has other intentions.

Despite their seemingly conciliatory meeting, the NYPD chief is pressing forward in civil court, seeking unspecified damages and accusing the councilwoman of inflicting lasting harm. The lawsuit alleges that the councilmember’s actions caused “great trauma and distress” and left him with permanent injuries—claims that could now be examined before a civil judge.

“The lawsuit has nothing to do with the resolution of the criminal case,” Yaniv told the Post, reinforcing the idea that civil proceedings are separate and not bound by the outcome of restorative justice initiatives.

Zhuang, for her part, has maintained her innocence since the beginning. She pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges and insisted she was attempting to protect an elderly protester she believed was being mishandled by police officers. The Post previously reported that she accused the NYPD of brutality and even suggested the incident was fueled by “Asian hate.”

Images obtained by the Post showed a bite mark on DiGiacomo’s arm, allegedly left by Zhuang, and photos from the day of the protest depicted the councilwoman being led away in handcuffs by officers.

Neither DiGiacomo nor his attorney responded to the Post’s repeated requests for comment on the civil action, which was originally filed on March 18. The suit lingered for weeks before Zhuang was finally served.

Now, while the criminal case may be behind her, Zhuang’s legal woes appear far from over—as the New York Post exclusively reported, the bite heard around Brooklyn could still carry serious legal consequences.