High-ranking Nassau prosecutor resigns after DWI arrest

Police in Queens arrested a high-ranking prosecutor from the Nassau County district attorney's office Tuesday night on charges that include driving while intoxicated and fleeing from police, court records show.

The NYPD arrested Zeena Abdi, 39, a lawyer who has prosecuted numerous Nassau murder cases, at about 11:53 p.m. on Election Day after an incident that started at Grand Central Parkway and 264th Street, according to the records.

An NYPD officer alleged that Abdi nearly hit his police car, refused at first to stop her vehicle when he pursued it, and smelled strongly of alcohol after later being pulled over, the records state.

The assistant district attorney's arrest happened less than an hour before Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice -- a congresswoman-elect who made her fight against drunken driving one of the cornerstones of her campaign -- declared victory in the 4th Congressional District race.

A Rice spokesman said Thursday that Abdi resigned from her job as deputy bureau chief of the office's grand jury unit on Thursday morning and that the office had no further comment.

Abdi's attorney, Gregory Grizopoulos, said Thursday that his client is a highly respected attorney who is known for her honesty and who is "completely upset about the allegations."

"Just the allegations alone were enough that she thought it was in the best interest of the office to resign while the case is pending. We intend to fight the charges and the allegations are completely inaccurate," the Westbury lawyer said.

Besides misdemeanor charges of DWI and fleeing police, the NYPD also charged Abdi with misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and reckless driving, along with other motor vehicle offenses, court records show.

The arresting officer also reported that Abdi had slurred speech, an unsteady gait and bloodshot, watery eyes. The attorney refused to take a blood alcohol test at the 112th Precinct, according to police.

The incident started after the NYPD officer had been parked in the road's right lane, with his car's lights activated, because of a disabled vehicle that was being towed away, according to a criminal complaint.

The officer said Abdi, who was driving a 2006 Toyota, almost hit the left side of his police car and failed to signal when changing lanes, the complaint says.

The officer said he then pursued Abdi's Toyota, his police car's lights still on, to try and stop her. But the NYPD officer said Abdi continued to drive before stopping a quarter-mile away at a red light at the intersection of Lakeview Road and Grand Central Parkway in Lake Success, the complaint says.

Abdi, who is a graduate of George Washington University Law School, appeared in court on Wednesday in Queens, when a judge released her on her own recognizance.