Two Manhattan cops were indicted Friday for allegedly attempting to cover up for an off-duty officer who crashed his vehicle in a drunk driving incident back in 2024.
Michael Galigiuri, 31, and Ryan McLoughlin, 30, were whisked through the hallway of Manhattan criminal court in handcuffs as fellow cops looked on. “It’s a disgrace,” one of the onlookers blurted out in defense of their colleagues.
The blue wall was on full display as a legion of police officers and reps from the Police Benevolent Association, a union representing about 21,000 members, flooded into the courtroom. The PBA president, Patrick Hendry, charged that the officers’ prosecution was purely political.
According to the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, both men attempted to cover for a fellow cop, who, in a drunken stupor, crashed his vehicle in Chelsea.
Prosecutors say the incident unfolded near the corner of West 26th Street and 8th Avenue at just before 10:18 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2024. A bystander called 911, reporting that the intoxicated driver of an SUV had careened into another vehicle.
Court documents indicated that the driver, identifeid Eli Garcia, approached Galigiuri and McLoughlin after they arrived on the scene and told them he was a police officer. To prove that, he flashed a badge but struggled to provide his license and did not hand over the vehicle registration.
The unsealed indictment alleges that Galigiuri intentionally positioned his body-worn camera so it did not fully capture the interaction.
Prosecutors say both Galigiuri and McLoughlin then allegedly stopped communicating verbally and began texting one another on their personal cell phones.
“Idk what to do.” Galigiuri wrote, “it[’]s bad man.” Mcloughlin then texted CALIGIURI, “I’ll hold your camera[]?”
Law enforcement sources said Galigiuri then allegedly removed his body cam and handed it to McLoughlin, who then held it in his right hand, with his arm extended at chest level. That made it seem as though his partner was standing beside him.
Galigiuri then reportedly walked away so his voice would not be picked up by the camera and called the supervising lieutenant, prosecutors said.
“What he say,” Mcloughlin asked, again via text. Galigiuri did not reply.
Moments later, Garcia drove away from the scene without being given the go-ahead, even leaving his license behind. However, both cops allegedly did not attempt to stop him from driving away.
At around 1:15 a.m. the following morning, Oct. 17, 2024, an NYPD captain traveled to Garcia’s apartment, where he found the SUV parked illegally in a crosswalk. After speaking with Garcia, prosecutors said, the captain deemed him to be intoxicated and unfit for duty. Garcia was arrested and charged.
In December of that year, Garcia pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired and was sentenced to a conditional discharge, an Impaired Driver Program, a 90-day license suspension, and more than $1,500 in fines and restitution. He later resigned from the department.
According to the NYPD, the department initiated this investigation and then referred the case to the Manhattan DA’s office.
PBA fury over Manhattan cops’ indictment
Appearing in court on Friday, the pair pleaded not guilty to the allegations, which included first-degree charges of tampering with public records and falsifying business records, and additional charges of tampering with physical evidence and official misconduct. Both men were released on their own recognizance and are expected to reappear in court in June.
“The defendants allegedly went to great lengths to protect a fellow officer from accountability,” District Attorney Bragg said. “This type of conduct significantly harms the public trust in law enforcement. Everyone must be treated the same under the law, regardless of their position or background.”
PBA President Patrick Hendry responded by railing against DA Bragg. Standing in the 11th-floor hallway directly outside the courtroom, Hendry went as far as to charge that he believes the Manhattan DA is a bigger opponent of the NYPD than criminals.
“His office is more concerned about arresting police officers than prosecuting criminals. These are two hard-working New York City police officers, and their reputations are being tarnished by this DA’s office because of assumptions, because of what they were thinking, not what they actually did,” Hendry roared. “This case was resolved a year ago, and the person who was involved was arrested and prosecuted. These police officers did their job. We should not be here today.”
Hendry charged that Bragg ought to “stop going after police officers who do their jobs on the street every day,” and instead, “go after the criminals.”
