Last December, a racy lap dance between an NYPD rookie cop and her superior officer went viral, sparking an internal investigation. Learn about Vera Mekuli and Nick Mcgarry, the 20-something officer who danced provocatively on the married Lt. Nick McGarry’s lap at their holiday party, and the aftermath of embarrassment, apologies, and outrage over their misconduct. Despite the controversy, Mekuli continues posting risque Instagram photos embracing her notoriety from the scandal that rocked the New York Police Department.
- Rookie NYPD officer Vera Mekuli was filmed giving a raunchy lap dance to her married superior, Lt. Nick McGarry, at a holiday party last December. The video went viral.
- Mekuli was dressed provocatively in a mini skirt and crop top. McGarry was seen smiling as she gyrated on his lap while coworkers looked on.
- McGarry was quickly reassigned to another department after the incident while it’s unclear if Mekuli faced disciplinary action.
- Mekuli later apologized tearfully to McGarry’s wife, saying she didn’t know he was married and it was meant as a joke after drinking.
- Mekuli’s father threatened to sue over the incident. She said she felt embarrassed and judged.
- McGarry’s wife angrily confronted reporters outside their home, yelling expletives at them.”
- Despite the controversy, Mekuli has continued posting racy photos on Instagram, recently dressing up as Harley Quinn.
- The lap dance incident caused embarrassment for Mekuli and marital issues for McGarry, highlighting misconduct at the holiday party.
What happened at the Christmas Party?
A raunchy lap dance between a rookie cop and her married superior has sparked an investigation into misconduct at a New York Police Department holiday party.
A female rookie officer was filmed performing a provocative lap dance for a male lieutenant at a Bronx precinct’s Christmas party last week. Video of the incident began circulating online Sunday evening, showing the scantily clad officer gyrating on the grinning lieutenant’s lap.
The officer can be seen wearing a mini skirt, crop top and knee-high boots as she straddles the lieutenant’s leg and continues dancing while he holds her waist. The lieutenant is seated in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by cheering colleagues.
Several partygoers filmed the interaction on their phones. One bystander appears shocked, standing with his mouth agape as he watches the pair. “Oh my God!” someone shouts, while another person hands the lieutenant cash. After the dance, the officer and lieutenant stand and hug.
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The married lieutenant, who has children, has reportedly been transferred to a different department as the NYPD investigates the inappropriate conduct on display at the party. It is unclear whether the rookie officer will face disciplinary action for her participation in the dance.
The racy lap dance has caused embarrassment for the NYPD. While some defenders claim it was just drunken fun, experts say it displays a highly sexualized and problematic power dynamic between a junior and senior officer.
Who is Vera Mekuli?
Vera Mekuli, the rookie NYPD officer filmed giving a raunchy lap dance to her lieutenant, is a relative newcomer to the police force.
Vera Mekuli is 28 years old born on April 12, 1995, the officer only joined the NYPD in February of this year. She earns an annual salary of $42,500 as a beat cop.
Prior to becoming a police officer, Mekuli worked as a real estate agent in the Bronx, where she grew up. She studied criminal justice at John Jay College, graduating in 2018.
On her LinkedIn page, Mekuli describes herself as a highly motivated go-getter, saying she tends to persistently pursue her goals. She overcame early failures by picking herself back up and trying again.
Mekuli’s enthusiastic lap dance for her superior officer seems at odds with her straight-laced academic record. Some speculate she got carried away at the alcohol-fueled holiday party and exercised poor judgment while intoxicated.
Meet Senior Officer Nick Mcgarry
The senior officer involved in the viral lap dance incident is 44th Precinct Lieutenant Nick McGarry. McGarry has been with the NYPD since 2010 and took command of the Bronx precinct just last April.
Despite his 13 years on the force, McGarry failed to stop the inappropriate encounter at the holiday party. Additional footage shows the rookie officer straddling him as McGarry grins and grabs her waist.
The NYPD took swift disciplinary action against McGarry after the videos surfaced online. He was immediately reassigned to Transit District 12 in the Bronx, far from his local precinct.
Since the incident, McGarry has kept a low profile at his suburban home. He was photographed Tuesday walking his French bulldog, attempting to avoid the media assembled outside.
His visibly upset wife, Melissa, loaded items into a car while wearing a simple sweater and boots before driving off. She did not speak to reporters.
As a commanding officer, McGarry should have shut down the raunchy lap dance instead of allowing and participating in the encounter. His poor judgment amid the holiday revelry may indicate deeper issues in the precinct under his watch.
No Evidence of Affair Between Officers
Despite their raunchy encounter, there is currently no evidence of any romantic relationship or affair between rookie officer Vera Mekuli and Lt. Nick McGarry.
The video shows Mekuli, dressed provocatively in a miniskirt and crop top, giving her superior officer an inappropriate lap dance. McGarry can be seen smiling as the rookie officer gyrates on his lap, while colleagues look on.
McGarry is married with children, making the public display even more unacceptable. After the dance, the two are seen hugging in a seemingly platonic manner.
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Rather than intervening, the officers’ colleagues encouraged the unacceptable conduct by cheering them on and handing McGarry cash. The Instagrammable moment from the holiday party has fueled public outrage.
In the aftermath, McGarry has been transferred to another department, while potential penalties for Mekuli remain uncertain.
Apologies from both sides and After Drama
In the wake of the lap dance scandal, both officers apologized for their actions at the holiday party.
Officer Vera Mekuli gave a tearful video apology to Lt. Nick McGarry’s wife, saying she hoped it didn’t irreparably damage their marriage. Mekuli claimed she was unaware McGarry was married and said the lap dance was just meant jokingly.
‘I want to apologize the lieutenant’s wife, you know, I am sorry, truly I am,’ she said in a video obtained by TMZ. ‘I hope it didn’t cause too much damage in the marriage or in your personal life.
‘I know it’s been rough,’ she continued. ‘It wasn’t meant to be like this, I really had no knowledge of your marriage.’
Since the story emerged, Mekuli has been working from home and says she feels unfairly judged due to misogyny. The young officer claims everyone was drinking at the party and things got out of hand.
The rookie’s dad told Post that his daughter told him:
‘Daddy, I made some mistake. I’m very embarrassed about what I did. I embarrassed you and my family.’
Mekuli’s father says she has been crying continuously over the embarrassing incident. He plans to sue, arguing
‘She cried and cried,’ he said. ‘She is young. She doesn’t know how but he is married, the lieutenant. He should know better.
‘I am going to sue them.’
McGarry’s wife Melissa unleashed expletive-laden anger at reporters outside the couple’s home, screaming “F*** you!” at them as she was restrained by her husband. Her fury over the public humiliation indicates the lap dance has taken a major toll on their marriage.
‘It’s not worth it, get back in the car,’
the lieutenant told his fuming wife as she continued her rant.
Rookie Cop Flaunts Notoriety on Instagram
Despite the controversy over her lap dance video, rookie officer Vera Mekuli continues to embrace her newfound notoriety on Instagram.
Mekuli recently posted racy photos dressed as comic book villain Harley Quinn, with the caption “Trouble never looked so fine.” In the shots, she wears makeup resembling the character and poses with an oversized mallet.
On the one-year anniversary of her lap dance video going viral, Mekuli marked the occasion by wearing the same legendary checkered miniskirt outfit seen in the footage.
Her thousands of Instagram followers immediately recognized the outfit, with one commenting “The skirt that started it all”
Other comments jokingly asked Mekuli to come to their holiday parties or get arrested in the outfit. Mekuli appears unfazed by criticism over her past behavior.
