A noted shrink says he’s turning into a head case after he was falsely arrested for supposedly installing a video camera in the ladies’ room at his office — and plans to sue the city for $5 million because of it.
Dr. Robert Reiner — an Upper East Side psychologist who has appeared on media outlets from MTV to NPR — says he suffered “psychological and emotional injuries” from his March 26 bust.
His lawyer argues that that if the police had done any investigation before arresting Reiner, they would have found not only that the camera didn’t work — but that it also had been mistakenly left there by a contractor renovating the office.
Prosecutors have since dropped the charges.
Reiner was “wrongfully imprisoned for several days” and watched his sterling reputation take a battering after news of the arrest broke, according to his notice of claim filed against the NYPD — the first step in suing the city.
Even before he was tossed in the clink, the doctor suffered abuse, according to the court papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
When he was arrested, the doctor was “assaulted, battered and humiliated,” the notice of claim charges.
As a result of the degrading experience, Reiner “sustained . . . loss of enjoyment of life,” as well as “sustained anxiety and embarrassment.”
In addition to planning to sue for false arrest, the psychologist also is targeting the city for alleged slander and libel.
“There was a rush to judgment,” said his lawyer, Neil Wollerstein. “They should have investigated this, and they would have avoided a lot of pain.”
The lawyer said the case isn’t about the money.
“[Reiner] wants his reputation back,” he said.
The doctor is a frequent go-to talking head for the media, who have relied on his opinion for everything from A-Rod’s batting slump to the case of the meat-cleaver killer of Upper East Side psychotherapist Dr. Kathryn Faughey.
Reiner has appeared on MTV’s “I Have a Phobia” series, as well as advised viewers of the “Tyra Banks Show” on how to cope with fear of flying.
He also has discussed the aftermath of 9/11 on National Public Radio.