A driver who was arrested for showing an officer the middle finger has received a whopping cash settlement - and plans for spending it are already taking shape.
Gregory Bombard, who was taken into custody back in February 2018, has ended his lawsuit against the state of Vermont and the Vermont State Police trooper with a $175,000 settlement, according to The American Civil Liberties Union.
As per a lawsuit filed in 2021, Trooper Jay Riggen halted Bombard’s vehicle in St. Albans because he believed he’d ‘extended and displayed his left middle finger over his steering wheel’.
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Despite his denial, Bombard was subjected to several minutes of questioning, according to the complaint filing.
Following the detention process, Bombard returned to his car where he cursed out the state trooper and displayed his middle finger while driving away.
This incident prompted Riggen to pull Bombard over for a second time, arrest him for disorderly conduct and order the towing of his car.
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The Vermont man was then jailed and held at the Vermont State Police’s St. Albans barracks for over an hour before being cited to criminal court.
Almost a year after the stop and arrest, the criminal case against Bombard was dismissed.
In 2021, the man submitted a lawsuit against Riggen and the state of Vermont, claiming that the initial stop violated his ‘rights to be free from unreasonable seizure and false arrest’.
Moreover, he stated that giving the ‘middle finger’ to protest a police officer’s actions is ‘free expression protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article Thirteen of the Vermont Constitution.’
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Following court proceedings, a $175,000 settlement has been awarded due to Bombard’s First Amendment rights being violated in the 2018 incident.
$100,000 of the settlement will be given to Bombard to cover damages while the other $75,000 will be used for attorney fees.
Speaking about the decision, Bombard said: “With this settlement, I hope the Vermont State Police will train its troopers to avoid silencing criticism or making baseless car stops.”
He also revealed what he plans to do with the money, which includes taking his parent out for a well-deserved meal.
“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,” he said.
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Speaking about her client’s win, Hillary Rich, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Vermont said: “While our client is pleased with this outcome, this incident should never have happened in the first place.
“Police need to respect everyone’s First Amendment rights—even for things they consider offensive or insulting.”
She added that state legislators ‘need to do more’ to prevent ‘unnecessary and unjustified police interactions’ by ‘downsizing the footprint and broad authority’ of police in communities.
UNILAD has contacted the Vermont State Police for further comment.
Ella Scott