NYC repeat transit offender bites cop, released by judge despite rap sheet

A man with seven prior arrests allegedly bit a police sergeant at a Brooklyn subway station and was released without bail by a judge, NY Post Metro reports.

Brooklyn subway suspect bites sergeant, walks free after court appearance

A 23-year-old repeat transit offender allegedly bit a police sergeant in the forearm during a violent arrest at a Brooklyn subway station — and was released without monetary bail days later, NY Post Metro has learned.

Derrick Daniels, of New Jersey, was spotted by officers around 5:15 a.m. on Sept. 13 at the Brighton Beach subway station. Police were aware of an outstanding bench warrant for his arrest.

"They tried to take him into custody [and] he violently resisted arrest," an NYPD spokesman said.

Daniels allegedly bit the sergeant in the forearm during the struggle, breaking her skin and drawing blood. A photo of the injury confirmed the wound. She is recovering at home, police said. A detective also sustained a knee injury during the arrest.

Daniels was charged with two counts of assault. He also faces two counts of grand larceny tied to separate subway thefts — one at the Parkside Avenue station on Aug. 26 and another at the Stillwell Avenue station on Sept. 9. In both incidents, he allegedly took phones from sleeping passengers; the devices were recovered on him at the time of his arrest, police said.

Daniels has seven prior arrests, three of them in the past year, all related to transit crime, according to police sources. Police data show that more than half of all people arrested for transit crimes in 2026 so far had three or more prior arrests.

"When we talk about transit, this guy is one of the select few," a police source said. "Our cops are laser focused on them."

Despite the severity of the assault and Daniels' criminal history, Judge Michele Russo released him on non-monetary conditions, court records show. Whether prosecutors requested bail remains unclear; the Brooklyn district attorney's office did not respond to a request for comment.

A police source said the outcome reflects a broader problem with the city's criminal justice system.

"Clearly, the rest of the system needs to hold up their end of the bargain," the source said. "We have two cops that were injured. We're being assaulted in the transit system while we're doing our job."

Source: NY Post Metro