#NYPD veteran with 9/11 illness claims she was ‘treated like crap’ by medical division

NYPD doctors accused a 20-year veteran of “acting” when pain from a 9/11-related illness brought her to tears, the officer claims in new legal papers announcing her plans to sue the department for $5 million.

“I wasn’t the best cop, but I was a star cop, and I did my job. I was active, and I was treated like crap,” Police Officer Kendra Herrera told The Post.

Herrera’s personal doctor diagnosed her with fibromyalgia in 2013, blaming her work at Ground Zero — but doctors in the medical division told her the pain from her illness was “mental,” according to the notice of claim filed with the city on Thursday.

“You’re a great actress,” the department’s Chief Rheumatologist Dr. Sullivan said to the cop who was “crying due to pain and discomfort,” according to the claim.

“Dr. Sullivan became visibly upset and screamed at Claimant to stop crying and stated ‘Maybe you need to learn how to exercise.’ Dr. Sullivan then threatened to remove Claimant from the job because she was faking her injuries,” the claim reads.

“I was sick every day almost like the flu,” Herrera told The Post.

Herrera worked on street patrol for roughly 16 years of her career while assigned to the 5th Precinct — until she was in a car accident on the way to work in October of 2016, the claim says.

In December 2019, Herrera was again accused of faking an injury after she had surgery on her foot.

“I know what’s happened over and over at this medical division,” Herrera said, accusing the unit of making cops’ lives miserable so they go out on disability before hitting their 20 years” — the minimum for retirement.

“It’s really sad. There’s a lot of people that are going through the same thing I went through. The [NYPD’s] medical division, they don’t care.”

Herrera was approved for her disability pension on July 8 and put in her paperwork to retire on Friday, she said.

“Ya know, you’re getting demonized on the street on patrol [right now], she said about retiring. “You’re paralyzed with all these movements going on and you think you can go into work and seek solace and safety but it blows up again.”

Her attorney, John Scola criticized, the “notorious” medical division for its “in fair and belittling treatment” of officers.

“Officer Herrera, who became disabled as a result of 9/11, was subjected to years of psychological torment by the Medical Division in a deliberate but ultimately failed attempt to force her out of the department,” Scola said.

The NYPD will review the lawsuit if and when it is filed, a department rep said.