An NYPD inspector let his girlfriend get behind the wheel of his unmarked police SUV after a night out drinking – and then scrambled to cover up evidence that she got into a crash, prosecutors charged Thursday.
Deputy Inspector Paul Zangrilli, 44, allegedly threw back five shots and seven beers at the American Whiskey bar near Penn Station on August 16, 2022 over three hours. His girlfriend at the time, Nikole Rupple, 35, downed seven shots and three beers, according to an indictment. Then she drove Zangrilli’s unmarked Chevrolet Equinox, with him in the passenger seat – but didn’t make it far. Just two blocks away, Rupple rear-ended a black car at around 8:40 p.m., injuring that driver’s back and neck. Prosecutors say that’s when Zangrilli’s coverup began.
“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. “Furthermore, this NYPD deputy inspector, then a commanding officer, allegedly went to great lengths to cover up the incident to avoid responsibility.”
Zangrilli, of Rockland County, pleaded not guilty to charges including falsifying business records, obstruction and official misconduct.
“He is a respected deputy inspector and we look forward to fighting these charges and defending his good name,” said Eric Franz, an attorney representing Zangrilli.
Rupple pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence. “She has pleaded not guilty and we will let the process play out and we believe a person is innocent until proven guilty,” said Rupple’s attorney Scott Leemon.
Rupple allegedly drove away from the scene of the crash. After a few blocks, the couple switched seats, according to the indictment. A police officer soon pulled them over, with the livery driver also in pursuit. Instead of exchanging insurance information, the indictment alleges Zangrilli “repeatedly offered $500 and $1,000 to the victim.”
Zangrilli called an NYPD captain to the scene and told them a bogus story that he was driving to work at the time of the crash, according to the indictment. By that point, Rupple was lingering away from the scene, prosecutors wrote. Zangrilli then drove to the Fifth Precinct station house, signed in for duty, and called the owner of the bar and ordered him to delete the security footage, according to the indictment.
After about 30 minutes at the station house, Zangrilli left work, picked up Rupple in a different unmarked NYPD vehicle, and went back to the bar, prosecutors wrote.
The NYPD’s internal affairs unit was quickly alerted to the episode, and was able to recover the surveillance video even though the bar had deleted it.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The most serious charge against Zangrilli carries a maximum of four years in prison.
The livery driver injured in the crash, Luis Collaguazo, settled a lawsuit against the city over his injuries for $75,000, court records show.
Since last year, at least 20 NYPD officers, including a police chaplain, have been arrested for driving while under the influence, according to notices released by the police press office. Most refused to take a breathalyzer test at the time of their arrest.
Zangrilli’s attorney has previously represented other police officers in court, including an NYPD captain who was found not guilty of intentionally botching the investigation of an NYPD detective suspected of drunk driving.
Zangrilli has had two Civilian Complaint Review Board complaints filed against him; neither of them found evidence of wrongdoing.
Liam Quigley contributed reporting.
