A retired NYPD officer who has spent six years fighting for an accidental disability pension is suing the New York City’s Police Pension Fund, alleging the retirement system discriminated against him — while granting more generous benefits to other officers, including former NYPD Chief of Department John Chell.
According to police records, Ilbey Aykac, a former Harlem cop, hurt his neck twice while on duty in 2019. One line-of-duty injury report states he was injured in a police car accident in May of that year. A second line-of-duty injury report states he was hurt during a fight with a defendant who had smuggled brass knuckles into a holding cell.
Aykac later had neck surgery, but the Police Pension Fund has repeatedly denied him accidental disability status, claiming in court that “there is no causal relationship” between his line-of-duty injuries and his symptoms. Instead, the Pension Board has ruled the retired officer’s pain and mobility problems are due to a pre-existing problem with one of his discs…