A recent lawsuit filed against the City of New York accuses several NYC correction officers of negligence following an assault at a city correctional facility. Hector Bedoya filed the complaint on Dec. 27, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, claiming the city and unnamed officers failed to protect him from an attack that left him injured.
Bedoya alleges that on Sept. 29, 2023, while incarcerated at Rikers Island's Otis Bantum Correctional Center (OBCC), he was assaulted by another inmate at a telephone station. He claims that no officers intervened during or after the assault, despite being under the care and custody of the New York City Department of Correction (NYCDOC).
Bedoya contends that the attack was preventable if officers had followed proper procedures and not ignored dangerous conditions at OBCC.
“Defendants knew of and disregarded the excessive risk of harm to plaintiff’s health and safety,” Bedoya states in his complaint.
The lawsuit also addresses what it labels as systemic issues within the NYCDOC, alleging inadequate training and supervision have resulted in widespread violence among inmates.
Bedoya claims these failures are part of unconstitutional policies and practices maintained by the City of New York. The complaint further alleges that such issues are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern reflected in previous lawsuits, complaints, and investigations involving NYCDOC staff.
Bedoya seeks compensatory damages for physical injuries, emotional distress, and deprivation of constitutional rights.
The lawsuit includes several causes of action, including deliberate indifference to safety, failure to intervene, supervisory liability, municipal liability under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, negligence under state law, negligent screening, hiring, and retention, as well as negligent training and supervision.
Bedoya also seeks punitive damages against individual defendants and reasonable attorneys’ fees.
Bedoya is represented by attorney Brett H. Klein of Brett H. Klein Esq., PLLC in New York City. The case is filed under Case ID: 1:24-cv-08876.