A Bronx man who says an NYPD patrol car slammed into his quad-style motorbike and left him hurt is now suing in federal court, accusing officers and the City of New York of excessive force and negligence. His civil-rights complaint, brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and naming multiple officers plus the city as defendants, landed before Judge Lewis J. Liman in the Southern District of New York on Monday.
What The Docket Shows
On paper, the case is listed as Valdez v. The City of New York, No. 1:25-cv-07610, filed in September 2025 and assigned to Judge Liman. Public court records show that both sides have already asked to tweak the schedule while NYPD investigators dig into what happened in the crash, according to Justia Dockets & Filings.
City Bows Out On One Officer
At Monday’s proceeding, the city’s lawyer told the judge that the Law Department represents every named defendant except one individual officer. The attorney said the city had “written to the officer by first class mail” and notified his union representative, according to Inner City Press. The outlet reports that Judge Liman instructed the plaintiff’s lawyer to seek a clerk’s certificate of default against that officer by next Monday (June 22).
Why The City Asked For A Pause
Court filings show that in March the city asked to put the brakes on the lawsuit while the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau investigates the crash. That request led to extensions of pretrial deadlines. The March letters and follow-up orders, reflected on the public docket, pushed back the city’s deadline to answer and moved the initial conference to Monday, according to Justia Dockets & Filings.
What A Default Could Do
If the clerk issues a certificate of default under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55, the plaintiff can then ask the court for a default judgment against the non-appearing officer. Rule 55 explains that the clerk’s entry is an administrative step that is separate from any final judgment, and it also makes clear that courts can set aside defaults for good cause. See Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55.
Part Of A Bigger NYPD Crash Problem
The Valdez lawsuit lands amid growing scrutiny of NYPD vehicle pursuits and run-ins involving mopeds, scooters and ATVs that have triggered both civil suits and criminal cases in recent years. For instance, NBC New York has detailed lawsuits that claim police vehicles hit riders, and national outlets have covered a separate prosecution earlier this year after an officer tossed a cooler that led to a fatal scooter crash.
For now, the next move is procedural. The plaintiff was told to ask for a clerk’s certificate of default by next Monday (June 22), and media inquiries to the NYPD’s discipline unit were reported to have gone unanswered. The case is still in its early days on the SDNY docket, and whether the officer who lacks city representation shows up or hires a lawyer will shape what happens next.
