A New York Police Department inspector has been charged with lying to investigators and attempting to erase video evidence after his girlfriend crashed his police car into a taxi while intoxicated, prosecutors said Thursday.
Deputy Inspector Paul Zangrilli, who oversaw a precinct in Manhattan, is accused of trying to cover up the incident in 2022. Prosecutors claim he switched seats with his girlfriend after the crash and offered money to the cab driver. Zangrilli has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
His lawyer, Eric Franz, did not immediately respond to requests for comment but has stated that Zangrilli, a respected inspector, is eager to clear his name after waiting two years.
According to Manhattan prosecutors, Zangrilli had been drinking with his girlfriend when he allowed her to drive his unmarked police vehicle.
Police arrest a pro-Palestinian protester (Via Kat West/Shutterstock)
After the crash, in which the girlfriend hit a cab and then drove away with Zangrilli as a passenger, Zangrilli allegedly switched seats with her and continued driving. When the cab driver confronted them at a red light and sought police assistance, Zangrilli reportedly offered the cab driver money instead of exchanging insurance information.
Prosecutors further allege that Zangrilli falsely claimed to an NYPD captain that he had been alone in the vehicle and on his way to work at the time of the crash. They contend that he later signed into work at his precinct and contacted the bar owner to erase security footage that recorded their three-hour drinking session.
