A Vermont State Trooper is seen on newly released video arresting a man for disorderly conduct after being shoved and cursed at during a traffic stop — an action that led the man to file a lawsuit against the trooper for violation of rights.
Gregory Bombard drives through St. Albans, Vermont, in February 2018 when state trooper Jay Riggen pulled him over as the two drove past each other.
Riggen mistakenly believed that Bombard had given him the middle finger as he passed, but it turned out that Bombard did not make the gesture at that moment.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, released dash cam video on Monday of the February 9, 2018, arrest.
Bombard is now suing over the incident, arguing that his right to free speech and expression was violated.
As Bombard reminded Riggen several times during the stop, pulling him up for flipping him was unconstitutional even though the signal had been made.
Dash-cam video shows when state trooper Jay Riggen pulled over Gregory Bombard, which eventually led to his arrest. Youtube/FIRE
“If someone turns their back on you, what’s the quote? What is the crime?” Bombard asked, then added, “That would be considered free speech, so I’m going to file a complaint against you.”
Riggen replied, “And you are most welcome. So here’s the issue: While it may be freedom of speech, it’s so unusual that it requires intervention to make sure you don’t need some form of help.”
The standoff ended after Bombard suggested he was going to file a complaint, and as Bombard pulled away, he literally gave Riggen the finger and said “a–hole” and “f–k you.”
Gregory Bombard was seen with his hands on the vehicle after State Trooper Jay Riggen mistakenly thought he was overturned when he passed him driving through St. Albans, Vermont. Youtube/FIRE
“Apparently when he pulled away he called me an a-hole and said, ‘F–k you.’ Flipped the bird. I will arrest him for disorderly conduct,” Riggen relayed into his radio.
Riggen then pulls Bombard over again and arrests him for disorderly conduct.
Bombard was handcuffed, searched and placed in the back of Riggen’s car before being taken to jail.
Gregory Bombard is now suing over the incident, arguing that his right to free speech and expression was violated. Youtube/FIRE
Riggen also told Bombard that his car would be towed because he had stopped in a “No Parking” zone when he was told to stop there by a state trooper.
“Police are charged with protecting the public, not their own egos,” FIRE senior attorney Jay Diaz said in a statement. “It is clear from the footage that the officer did not care about Greg’s safety. He just wanted to punish him for interrupting.”
Charges against Bombard were later dropped, after nearly a year of legal fees and expenses.
Bombard, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, filed suit in 2021 against Riggen and the state of Vermont for violating his First Amendment and Vermont constitutional rights.
FIRE joined Bombard’s legal team last year, and both groups asked the Vermont Supreme Court to “recognize Bombard’s First Amendment rights were violated in February 2018 when he was questioned, arrested and cited by state troopers.”
“Traffic stops are the most common way people interact with law enforcement,” ACLU of Vermont staff attorney Hillary Rich said in a statement. “To protect the safety and personal liberty of all Vermonters, the state must do more to prevent unnecessary and inappropriate police interactions like the one Mr. Bombard experienced.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
