NYPD chief suing NYC councilwoman who bit him at protest, despite ‘healing' meeting
A City Councilwoman who dodged criminal charges for biting an NYPD chief at a Brooklyn protest could still face a judge over the matter — in civil court.
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.
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NYPD chief suing councilwoman who bit him at protest, despite 'healing' meeting
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.
DiGiacomo, who seeks unspecified damages, previously claimed needed a tetanus shot after Zhuang chomped on his arm while he tried to hold barricades in place at a July protest against a Bensonhurst homeless shelter.
'The lawsuit has nothing to do with the resolution of the criminal case,' Yaniv told The Post.
The lawmaker had pleaded not guilty to all charges and claimed she was protecting an elderly demonstrator being manhandled by police.
Neither DiGiacomo nor his lawyer, who initially filed the lawsuit on March 18 and waited three weeks to serve Zhuang with the legal filing, responded to messages seeking comment.
Zhuang declined comment.
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