Driver Arrested for Flipping Off Cop Gets Major Payday
Getting pulled over by the police is never fun, but one Vermont man's traffic stop has turned into a sizable payday.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Gregory Bombard has been awarded $175,000 in a settlement after a state trooper pulled him over in 2018 and arrested him after he allegedly gave the cop the middle finger during a traffic stop. The state has not admitted to any wrongdoing in the case nor agreed to make any change to police procedures.
The organization reported that the officer pulled Bombard over because he believed the man gave him the middle finger, which Bombard denied. When the traffic stop was over, Bombard cursed at the officer and flipped him the bird, which he admitted. That prompted his arrest for disorderly conduct, which led to nearly a year's worth of criminal court proceedings before the charge was dismissed.
"While our client is pleased with this outcome, this incident should never have happened in the first place," ACLU of Vermont staff attorney Hillary Rich said in a statement. "Police need to respect everyone’s First Amendment rights—even for things they consider offensive or insulting. State legislators need to do more to prevent unnecessary and unjustified police interactions like the one Mr. Bombard experienced—by downsizing the footprint and broad authority of police in our communities."
The original lawsuit, filed by the ACLU in 2021, claimed Bombard's First Amendment rights of free speech and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure were violated. He will receive $100,000 as a result of the settlement, with another $75,000 going to attorneys' fees.
Bombard, for his part, is happy to put the whole experience in the rear view mirror. "With this settlement, I hope the Vermont State Police will train its troopers to avoid silencing criticism or making baseless car stops. And at least now I can pay my criminal attorney for defending me from the bogus charges and take my 88-year-old mother out for a nice dinner.”
The Vermont State Police and the trooper involved in the arrest declined to comment to Vermont Public Radio about the case.