Two NYPD cops were accused Friday of covering up a drunken car crash involving a fellow officer in Manhattan.
Officers Michael Caligiuri and Ryan McLoughlin turned themselves in at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Friday morning and were arraigned on charges including tampering with evidence and official misconduct.
Both defendants, who are from the 10th precinct in Chelsea, pleaded not guilty before Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Cori Weston.
Dozens of cops filled most of the seats inside the courtroom in a sign of support during the brief appearance — as their union leader blasted the case as an “overreach” by DA Alvin Bragg.
The case stems from an October 2024 car accident in Chelsea involving an off-duty NYPD officer.
Prosecutors said Caliguri failed to question the fellow cop, Eli Garcia, about his drunken state and “positioned his body-worn camera so that it would not fully capture” their interaction.
Caliguri and McLoughlin then began texting each other about not knowing what to do in such a situation, before the former took off his bodyworn camera while the latter held it for him, prosecutors said.
Caliguri called their supervisor away from the cameras — as Garcia fled the scene.
“The defendants allegedly made no attempt to stop the vehicle, nor did they call over the police radio that the individual had fled the scene,” the DA’s office said in a release.
A couple hours later, the NYPD duty captain went to Garcia’s house and charged him with DWI. No one appears to have been injured in the crash.
Garcia pleaded guilty in December 2024 and was sentenced to a conditional discharge. He later resigned from the NYPD.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said the case was “another overreach” by Bragg — accusing the DA of “tarnishing” the two cops’ reputations.
“These police officers did their job,” Hendry said, vowing that both officers will be cleared of wrongdoing.
“We should not be here today. This case should have never been brought before a grand jury,” he said.
In a statement, Bragg said that the cops “allegedly went to great lengths to protect a fellow officer from accountability.”
“This type of conduct significantly harms the public trust in law enforcement,” he said. “Everyone must be treated the same under the law, regardless of their position or background.”
The NYPD did not immediately return a request for comment.
The judge set the next date for June 15.
— Additional reporting by Tamar Lapin
