NYPD deputy chief sues Zhuang following assault charges being dropped

Councilmember Susan Zhuang may have had assault charges dropped in court in connection with her allegedly biting a police officer during a homeless shelter protest in Gravesend last year, but she is now facing a lawsuit.

The New York Post reported that NYPD Deputy Chief of Patrol Brooklyn South Frank DiGiacomo served his civil lawsuit at her home on April 9.

The day before, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office said Zhuang had completed a restorative justice program. 

“This case was resolved through a restorative justice process that created space for dialogue, accountability and healing,” a spokesperson for Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. “It was based on the wishes of the victim and the defendant’s willingness to make amends. This is exactly what restorative justice is meant to do — address harm, foster understanding, and support a path forward.”

However, the Post revealed court records showing DiGiacomo’s lawsuit, which accuses Zhuang of negligence and of leaving him permanently injured and suffering from trauma and distress. The deputy chief seeks unspecified damages, and claims he needed a tetanus shot after the bite.

On July 17, 2024, Zhuang was charged with second- and third-degree assault, obstructing government administration in the second-degree, and resisting arrest.

During a press conference the following day, Zhuang said she had been trying to protect an elderly woman who fell on the ground and was lying under a barricade. The councilmember pleaded not guilty.

News of the lawsuit comes shortly after the Kings County Conservative Party endorsed Susan Zhuang in the November 2025 general election.

“Councilmember Susan Zhuang will work with us to put more police on our streets, to make our schools safe and will defend our neighborhoods and community-based small businesses, “said Fran Vella-Marrone, Brooklyn chair for the New York State Conservative Party. “Susan Zhuang is the kind of common sense Democrat our city needs. We can work with her to bring out the best in our neighborhoods.”