Vermont State Trooper Jay Riggen arrested a man for disorderly conduct after claiming the man flipped him off during a traffic stop, leading to a lawsuit against the trooper for violating rights.
Dashcam footage released by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) shows the incident, where the man, Gregory Bombard, argues that his free speech rights were violated, regardless if he displayed the gesture or not.
The charges against Bombard were dropped, and he has filed a lawsuit against the trooper and the state of Vermont. (Trending: Bud Light Gets Bad News Ahead of Christmas)
Dashcam Video Shows Vermont Man Being Arrested After Flipping Off State Trooper… https://t.co/pQTc7xcNjr pic.twitter.com/ybowUn8ZpR
— AnalyzingAmerica (@AnalyzAmerica) December 21, 2023
“If someone flipped you off, what is the citation? What’s the crime?” asked Bombard.
“That would be considered freedom of expression, so I’m going to file a complaint against you,” he continued.
Trooper Riggen responded, “And you’re more than welcome to.”
“So here’s the issue: Although it may be freedom of expression, it’s so unusual that it requires intervention to make sure you don’t need help of some kind,” claimed Riggen.
As Bombard drove away, he actually did give the finger and called Riggen an “—hole” and said said “f— you” to him.
“It looks like as he pulled away he called me an a–hole and said, ‘F— you.’ Flipped the bird. I’m going to arrest him for disorderly conduct,” said Trooper Riggen into his radio.
Riggen pulled over Bombard for a second time and arrested him for disorderly conduct.
Bombard was handcuffed and taken to jail.
Riggen also told Bombard that his car would be towed because he chose to pull over in an area where parking was prohibited.
“Police are charged with protecting the public, not their own bruised egos,” wrote FIRE senior attorney Jay Diaz in a statement.
“It’s obvious from the footage that the officer wasn’t concerned about Greg’s safety,” he continued. “He just wanted to punish him for mouthing off.”
The government dropped the charges, but not before Bombard racked up a year’s worth of legal fees fighting the charges.
“Traffic stops are the most common way that people interact with law enforcement,” wrote ACLU of Vermont staff attorney Hillary Rich in a statement.
“To protect the safety and personal liberties of all Vermonters, the state needs to do more to prevent unnecessary and unjustified police interactions like the one Mr. Bombard experienced,” she continued.
FIRE and the ACLU are supporting Bombard’s case, seeking to recognize the violation of his First Amendment rights during the 2018 incident.
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