An NYPD deputy inspector was indicted Thursday for allegedly allowing his drunken girlfriend to drive his police vehicle, then attempting to cover up an accident she had.
Paul Zangrilli, 44, is charged with tampering with physical evidence, falsifying business records, official misconduct and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, among other offenses, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
The woman, Nikole Rupple, 35, was charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an incident with personal injury.
According to the indictment, Zangrilli, who was the commanding officer of the 5th Precinct in Manhattan's Chinatown at the time, and Rupple drove to a bar near Penn Station one evening in August 2022.
Over the course of approximately three hours, Zangrilli consumed five shots of alcohol and seven beers, while Rupple consumed seven shots and three beers, the indictment said.
When they left, Zangrilli allowed Rupple to drive his unmarked department-issued vehicle, while he rode in the passenger seat. Minutes later, Rupple allegedly crashed into a livery cab at a Manhattan intersection soon afterward, injuring the cab driver's back and neck, and damaging his car.
Rupple allegedly then sped away from the scene, then pulled over a few blocks away to switch seats with Zangrilli.
But the cab driver pursued the couple in his car and flagged down a patrol officer for help when he caught up to them at a red light.
When the uniformed officer pulled Zangrilli's car over, Zangrilli allegedly "repeatedly" offered $500 and $1,000 to the victim to not report the accident "both in the uniformed officer's presence and after she left," according to the indictment.
Zangrilli also allegedly lied to a duty captain who arrived on the scene, insisting the accident had occurred while he was driving to work.
Later, Zangrilli also allegedly called the owner of the bar where the couple had been drinking, and asked him to delete surveillance video from that night.
The owner deleted the video, but investigators were later able to recover it, according to the indictment.
"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," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
Zangrilli then went to "great lengths to cover up the incident to avoid responsibility. We will continue to hold public servants accountable when they violate the public trust," Bragg added.
