Repeat Offender Accused of Biting Officer Arrested, Released by NYC Judge

A repeat offender accused of biting a police sergeant during a violent arrest in a Brooklyn subway station was released without bail, according to police officials. Derrick Daniels, 23, of New Jersey, was spotted by officers at the Brighton Beach subway station around 5:15 a.m. on September 13. Police were aware of an active bench warrant for his arrest and pursued him.

During the attempted apprehension, Daniels allegedly resisted arrest violently and bit a sergeant on the forearm, breaking her skin. The sergeant is recovering at home, and a detective sustained a knee injury during the incident. Daniels faces charges including two counts of assault. He was also charged with two counts of grand larceny for alleged phone thefts on August 26 and September 9, at the Parkside Avenue and Stillwell Avenue stations, respectively. Police reported that Daniels took phones from sleeping individuals and had the stolen items in his possession at the time of his arrest.

According to police sources, Daniels has seven prior arrests, three of which occurred in the past year for transit-related offenses. Data from the NYPD indicates that over half of those arrested for transit crimes in 2026 so far have had three or more prior arrests. One police source described Daniels as one of a "select few" individuals targeted by officers focused on transit crime.

Despite the alleged assault on an officer and Daniels' criminal history, Judge Michele Russo released him under non-monetary conditions. It was not immediately clear if prosecutors had requested bail, as the Brooklyn district attorney's office did not immediately respond to inquiries.

A police source criticized the criminal justice system's handling of repeat offenders in the transit system, stating, "Clearly, the rest of the system needs to hold up their end of the bargain. We have two cops that were injured. We’re being assaulted in the transit system while we’re doing our job."