A Vermont State Trooper was noticed in newly launched video footage arresting a person for disorderly conduct after being flipped off and cursed at throughout a site visitors cease – a transfer that led the person to file a lawsuit in opposition to the trooper for violation of rights.
Gregory Bombard was driving by way of St. Albans, Vermont, in February 2018 when state trooper Jay Riggen pulled him over as the 2 drove previous one another.
Riggen mistakenly believed that Bombard had given him the center finger in passing, but it surely turned out that Bombard didn’t make the gesture in that second.
The Basis for Particular person Rights and Expression, or FIRE, launched dashcam video on Monday of the Feb. 9, 2018, arrest.
Bombard is now suing over the incident, arguing that his proper to free speech and expression was violated.
As Bombard reminded Riggen a number of occasions through the cease, pulling him over for flipping him off would have been unconstitutional even when the gesture had been made.
“If somebody flipped you off, what’s the quotation? What’s the crime?” Bombard requested, later including, “That might be thought-about freedom of expression, so I’m going to file a grievance in opposition to you.”
Riggen responded, “And also you’re greater than welcome to. So right here’s the problem: Though it could be freedom of expression, it’s so uncommon that it requires intervention to ensure you don’t need assistance of some variety.”
The cease concluded after Bombard prompt he would file a grievance, and as Bombard pulled away, he truly did give the finger and mentioned “a–gap” and “f–ok you” to Riggen.
“It seems to be like as he pulled away he referred to as me an a–gap and mentioned, ‘F–ok you.’ Flipped the chook. I’m going to arrest him for disorderly conduct,” Riggen relayed into his radio.
Riggen then pulled Bombard over once more and arrested him for disorderly conduct.
Bombard was handcuffed, searched and positioned at the back of Riggen’s automobile earlier than being taken to jail.
Riggen additionally instructed Bombard that his automobile could be towed as a result of he had pulled over right into a “No Parking” zone when he was ordered by the state trooper to cease there.
“Police are charged with defending the general public, not their very own bruised egos,” FIRE senior legal professional Jay Diaz mentioned in a press release. “It’s apparent from the footage that the officer wasn’t involved about Greg’s security. He simply needed to punish him for mouthing off.”
The prices in opposition to Bombard have been later dropped, after almost a yr of authorized charges and bills.
Bombard, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, filed a lawsuit in 2021 in opposition to Riggen and the state of Vermont for violating his First Modification and Vermont constitutional rights.
FIRE joined Bombard’s authorized staff final yr, and each teams are asking the Superior Court docket of Vermont to “acknowledge Bombard’s First Modification rights have been violated in February 2018 when he was interrogated, arrested, and cited by a state trooper.”
“Site visitors stops are the commonest means that folks work together with regulation enforcement,” ACLU of Vermont employees legal professional Hillary Wealthy mentioned in a press release. “To guard the security and private liberties of all Vermonters, the state must do extra to forestall pointless and unjustified police interactions just like the one Mr. Bombard skilled.”
