Albuquerque has agreed to pay Todd Perchert $950,000 to settle a lawsuit stemming from a February 2024 crash in which then-Police Chief Harold Medina's department truck slammed into Perchert's vintage Mustang while Medina was fleeing nearby gunfire. Perchert and his wife, Danielle, appeared alongside attorney James Tawney at a Wednesday news conference to discuss the settlement, which closes out a case that left Perchert with broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a totaled car that had belonged to his uncle.
A Chance Encounter Turns Violent
According to the lawsuit, Medina and his wife were driving an unmarked APD truck to a news conference on February 17, 2024, when Medina spotted a homeless encampment on Alvarado, north of Central Avenue, and parked to ask officers to clear it. While he was stopped, two men reportedly got into a fight west of his truck, and one of them pulled out a gun and fired at least once at the other, per the lawsuit. Medina sped off to avoid the gunfire, ran a red light, and crashed into the driver's side of Perchert's 1966 Ford Mustang at a Central Avenue intersection, according to KRQE.
Perchert was on his way to meet members of the Rio Grande Mustang Club when the crash happened, driving a gold 1966 Mustang that had belonged to his uncle. The car was totaled. Medina and his wife were unharmed, though the lawsuit notes she was not authorized for a police ride-along, and that Medina did not turn on his lights or sirens before speeding away from the scene.
Serious Injuries and a Long Recovery
Perchert's attorney said his client suffered eight broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken collarbone and shoulder blade, and facial injuries, per KRQE's reporting. He underwent seven hours of surgery to repair his shattered ribs with titanium plates. Accounts of his hospital stay differ: City Desk ABQ reported he spent a week in the hospital with an epidural painkiller, while ABQ RAW reported the crash left him hospitalized for weeks in critical condition.
Tawney said at the news conference that no amount of money could undo the physical and emotional toll the crash took on Perchert and his family. The couple had to cancel a planned trip to celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary, per Tawney.
No Charges, but Policy Violations Found
Medina took and passed breath and drug tests after the crash and requested an internal investigation himself after discovering his lapel camera had been off, in violation of department policy. That Internal Affairs investigation found that Medina violated two department policies, resulting in two letters of reprimand, the same ABQ RAW report notes.
Prosecutors ultimately decided not to bring criminal charges against Medina after the New Mexico Department of Justice investigated the crash. The state agency declined to prosecute, citing evidence that Medina acted under duress following the nearby gunfire. An APD spokesperson, Gilbert Gallegos, said in an email that nobody died in the crash or in the shooting that preceded it.
Perchert filed his lawsuit against the city in August 2024, seeking compensation for his injuries and damages, according to the Albuquerque Journal. The $950,000 payout was reached in late September.
Part of a Broader Pattern of City Payouts
The Perchert settlement lands amid a string of costly legal battles for the city. Albuquerque paid $14.5 million to settle lawsuits across fiscal years 2025 and 2026, with city attorneys settling at least 115 cases while winning another 92, according to separate Albuquerque Journal reporting. The 19 cases involving the Albuquerque Police Department alone accounted for $6.5 million of those payouts, the paper reported, while 28 cases over state Inspection of Public Records Act violations cost $1.5 million and 12 personal injury cases cost another $1.3 million. The prior two years, 2023 and 2024, saw even more settlements — 169 of them, totaling $15.3 million — while the city won just 47 cases.
