Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC lawmaker who bit cop ‘looking forward’ to working with NYPD after charges dropped
By
Elizabeth Shwe
Published Apr 8, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit
By
Elizabeth Shwe
Published Apr 8, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Councilmember Susan Zhuang says she’s looking forward to working with the NYPD after a judge dismissed charges that she assaulted a police officer and resisted arrest last summer.
Zhuang, who represents the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Dyker Heights, Gravesend and Sunset Park, was protesting a proposed nearby homeless shelter when she bit an officer’s forearm and was charged with resisting arrest and assault. The councilmember and police officer resolved the case through a restorative justice process, which included a mutual meeting, according to the Brooklyn district attorney’s office.
“I’m looking forward to working with the NYPD and still fighting for our community,” Zhuang told Gothamist on Tuesday. “No matter what happens, for me, I always fight for the community.”
Officials said Zhuang was preventing officers from getting to a woman who was on the ground and pushed barricades in the officers’ direction. When the officer told her to stop, she bit his forearm, leading to broken skin, bite marks and “substantial pain,” according to the criminal complaint.
The decision to participate in restorative justice “was based on the wishes of the victim and the defendant's willingness to make amends,” said Oren Yaniv, a spokesperson for the Brooklyn DA’s office.
Zhuang is a first-term councilmember who ran on a pro-policing platform and is a member of the Council’s Common Sense Caucus, a group of moderate Democrats and Republicans.
The Brooklyn DA’s office said the case is now dismissed and sealed and will not remain on Zhuang’s record.
Tagged
housing
brooklyn
nypd
City Council
Politics
Elizabeth Shwe
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Hochul names NY AG James as special prosecutor on alleged rape case at Cornell University
The governor said she does not have faith that the police and the Tompkins County DA effectively investigated the case.
By
Jon Campbell
Published Oct 1, 2026 at 9:04 p.m. ET
Founder of NYC LGBTQ therapy practice charged with rape after alleged sexual assaults
Joseph LoGiudice is the second therapist at Liberation Psychotherapy to be accused of sexually abusing a patient.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
Founder of NYC LGBTQ therapy practice charged with rape after alleged sexual assaults
Joseph LoGiudice is the second therapist at Liberation Psychotherapy to be accused of sexually abusing a patient.
By
Giulia Heyward
US judge in NY indefinitely blocks ICE from making arrests at immigration courthouses
By
Arya Sundaram
Lawyer challenging NYC rent freeze releases Mamdani officials’ emails and text messages
By
David Brand
Push to strengthen NY sexual assault laws gathers steam after Cornell rape allegations
By
Walter Wuthmann
and
Jon Campbell
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .