NYC Council Begins Ethics Probe Into Councilwoman Who Bit Officer

NEW YORK CITY — A councilwoman, accused of biting a police officer during a protest over the summer, could be the subject of an upcoming standards and ethics committee probe by the city council.

Councilwoman Susan Zhuang, 38, is facing second and third-degree assault, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration in connection to the July incident. She has pled not guilty to those charges.

A council spokesperson confirmed to Gothamist that committee proceedings took place on Tuesday, though declined to go into specifics of the proceedings.

“The Committee opened the matter regarding Council Member Zhuang and has held it in suspension pending the resolution of the ongoing prosecution by the Brooklyn District Attorney, as it has in the past when a Council member was facing pending criminal charges,” according to the report.

Back in July, during a public appearance in southern Brooklyn after the incident, Zhuang accused police officers of “brutality” when they attempted to arrest her, allegedly pulling her hair and grabbing her neck."

That's when she allegedly bit Deputy Chief of Patrol Frank DiGiacomo in the arm.

"Police brutality is wrong, the misuse of enforcement is wrong," she said at the time.

Zhuang has contested she was helping an elderly woman who "had become stuck under a barricade," Patch previously reported.

The protest happened at 25th Avenue and 86th Street in Bensonhurst. Individuals were protesting a proposed men's shelter.

Mayor Eric Adams at the time of the incident said he was surprised by the councilwoman's arrest.

"I hope the chief is okay. It was a pretty nasty bite in his forearm. I was a little surprised that this happened with the councilwoman. She's extremely supportive of police."