An employee with New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is accused of lying about getting stabbed on the job.
Prosecutors said Henry Herring, 54, wanted a vacation so badly that he allegedly sliced his own hands to try to sell his story.
“My goal was to have the summer off because it was too hot down there,” the transit system cleaner allegedly told investigators, according to the New York Post.
Herring, who was hired by the MTA last year, has been suspended without pay and faces charges of falsely reporting an incident.
Herring told police he was attacked on July 31 at the 179th St. subway station in the Jamaica neighbourhood of Queens at about 3 a.m., according to a complaint filed in Queens Criminal Court, the outlet reported.
According to a complaint filed in Queens Criminal Court, Herring said that he was cleaning a train car when he was “pushed from behind by an unknown male” and that the assailant “swung a cutting instrument” at him, leaving cuts on both of his hands.
Surveillance video from the station, however, allegedly proved the incident did not happen.
“When I went into the room I found something in there to cut myself,” he allegedly admitted to cops after being confronted with the footage, the complaint said.
“I apologize for wasting everyone’s time. I did not know that there were cameras on the platform.”
MTA communications director Tim Minton said in a statement that assaults on employees are a “real issue and the NYPD has made real progress identifying and capturing perpetrators.
“What’s alleged in this case is beyond disappointing,” Minton said, “pulling resources from investigations of actual crimes, while undermining confidence in the safety of the transit system.”
TheTransit Workers Union Local 100 took to X to express its outrage over the “attack” on one of its members following Herring’s assault report last month.
“At 3:45 a.m., a member was slashed on both hands defending himself from assault while on duty. He is now recovering at home,” the post signed by union president Richard Davis said.
“MTA is failing to protect us. Despite crime stats, our safety remains at risk due to erratic behaviour throughout the system.”
The union has not commented on the revelation of the allegedly phony slashing, the Post reported.