Prosecutors allege that an NYPD officer tried to cover up chaos when his drunk girlfriend got into his patrol car during a night out and crashed into a yellow cab.
Deputy Inspector Paul Zangrilli, 44, was indicted on Thursday by Manhattan prosecutors for a drunk driving accident that occurred in 2022. Zangrilli’s then-girlfriend, Nicole Rapple, 35, is accused of crashing into a taxi driver and Zangrilli, who was sitting in the passenger seat, fleeing the scene.
Zangrilli, who made more than $200,000 in 2022, according to public records, allegedly lied to cover up the affair and asked a Midtown bar owner to delete security camera footage in an attempt to erase scenes of the couple’s booze-fueled stint.
The former lovers’ wild night began around 5:40 p.m. on Aug. 15, 2022, when Zangrilli, who ran Manhattan’s 5th Precinct, drove Lupul to an American Whiskey Bar near Penn Station, where the pair spent three hours downing shots and beers.
According to the indictment, Zangrilli, who has been with the police department since at least 2008, downed five shots and seven beers before leaving the bar with Rupple and heading north on 10th Avenue in an NYPD-issued vehicle.
Prosecutors said the date, who had consumed seven shotgun slings and three bottles of beer, crashed his car into the back of a taxi at the intersection of West 30th Street and 10th Avenue, injuring the driver’s back and neck, before fleeing the scene.
Rather than hand his girlfriend over to police, Zangrilli allegedly swapped seats with the woman and continued driving.
A cab driver caught up with them at a red light a few blocks away and had another officer stop the couple, but he continued driving.
Zangrilli then allegedly offered the cab drivers $500 or $1,000 to avoid exchanging insurance information, according to court documents.
He then called an NYPD inspector to the scene and lied, saying he was driving alone and on his way to work when the accident occurred.
Zangrilli then left for work and called the bar’s owner, asking him to delete the security footage, prosecutors said.
“This conduct was extremely dangerous, injured a taxi driver and endangered the safety of many other drivers and pedestrians. Moreover, the NYPD Deputy Inspector in command at the time allegedly went to great lengths to cover up the incident in order 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 of justice, official misconduct, driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
An NYPD spokesman said Zangrilli had been suspended without pay.
His lawyer, Eric Franz, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rupple was also charged with drunk driving but pleaded not guilty.
Zangrilli is scheduled to appear in court again on September 25th.
