Don't Disrespect His Authority

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is suing. It is a suit the cop, and the state, deserve to lose. LAWSUIT: Vermont man sues after being arrested for flipping off police

Commit the name of Vermont State Trooper Jay Riggen to Hall of Shame.

Bombard was first pulled over when Riggen thought he saw Bombard give him the finger as they drove past each other. As it happened, Riggen was mistaken and Bombard had not made the gesture. But even if he had, it would have been unconstitutional for Riggen to stop a civilian for nothing more than an insult.

After the first stop, he did give the cop a middle-finger salute. The he was arrested and his car was towed.

An angry Riggen responded by immediately pulling over Bombard a second time and arresting him for “disorderly conduct.” Bombard was handcuffed, searched, thrown in the back of a police car, imprisoned in a station holding cell, and forced to have his fingerprints and mugshot taken, which were later distributed to Vermont media outlets. As a final indignity, Riggen told Bombard his car would be towed because Bombard had pulled over into a “no parking” zone, even though he did so because the trooper had ordered him to stop there.

In support of the bogus charge, Riggen dubiously claimed that “a hundred people” heard Bombard’s remark. The dashcam video clearly shows that the wintry street in St. Albans (population: 6,942) was practically deserted and that Bombard’s remark wasn’t even loud enough to be picked up by Riggen’s body mic.

So he lied on a police report. As far as I can tell, he wasn't held accountable for that. Isn't it a crime, or at least a violation of procedure? Not when your sticking it to a member of the public who did. Not. Bow. To. His. Authority.

The charges were dismissed and now there is a suit. The cop in question won't have to pay anything for this lawsuit, because the state will foot the bill. In fact I doubt he will pay any price at all. No reprimand for lying. No time off for being stupid. Nothing.

Hat tip to Gates of Vienna. This story was from a couple of years back, but FIRE, The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, recently joined the lawsuit as cousel.