NYPD cop let drunk girlfriend take joyride in cruiser, covered it up after crashing into cab: DA
An NYPD inspector let his girlfriend take a drunken joyride in his police car during a wild night out — and tried to cover up the mess when she crashed into a yellow cab, prosecutors allege.
Deputy Inspector Paul Zangrilli, 44, was charged by Manhattan prosecutors Thursday over the 2022 drunk driving crash in which his then-gal pal, Nikole Rupple, 35, allegedly smashed into a cabbie and then zoomed off while he was in the passenger seat.
Zangrilli, who made more than $200,000 in 2022, according to public records, allegedly lied to cover up the incident — and even asked the owner of a Midtown bar to delete surveillance footage in an attempt to erase the couple’s boozy bender.
The former lovebirds’ wild night began when Zangrilli, who led the 5th Precinct in Manhattan, drove Rupple to the American Whiskey bar near Penn Station around 5:40 p.m. Aug. 15, 2022 — where the pair slugged down shots and beers in three hours.
Zangrilli, who has been with the force since at least 2008, tipped back five shots and seven beers before leaving the bar with Rupple behind the wheel of his NYPD-issued vehicle heading north on Tenth Avenue, according to the indictment.
His date, who had sunk seven shots and three beers, slammed the car into the back of the cab at the intersection of West 30th Street and Tenth Avenue, injuring the driver’s back and neck — before she sped away, prosecutors said.
Instead of turning his girlfriend in, Zangrilli allegedly switched seats with the woman and kept driving.
He continued to drive when the cabbie caught up to them at a red light a few blocks later and flagged the couple down to another officer.
Zangrilli then allegedly offered the cab driver $500 or $1,000 in an effort to dodge exchanging insurance information, according to court papers.
He then called an NYPD captain to the scene and lied, telling the officer he had been driving alone and was on his way to work when the crash happened.
Prosecutors said Zangrilli later went to work and called the owner of the watering hole and asked him to delete the surveillance footage.
“This alleged behavior was incredibly dangerous, leading to injuries for one cab driver and putting the safety of many other drivers and pedestrians at risk. Furthermore, this NYPD Deputy Inspector, then a Commanding Officer, allegedly went to great lengths to cover up the incident to avoid responsibility,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
Zangrilli, of Rockland County, pleaded not guilty to charges including falsifying business records, obstruction, official misconduct, drinking while driving and operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol.
An NYPD spokesperson said Zangrilli was suspended without pay.
His attorney, Eric Franz, didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.
Rupple was also charged with drunken driving and pleaded not guilty.
Zangrilli is due back in court on September 25.