The Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union announced Wednesday that the state has agreed to pay $175,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was charged with giving a state trooper the middle finger in 2018.
The lawsuit was filed in 2021 by the ACLU of Vermont on behalf of Gregory Bombard of St. Albans. The lawsuit alleges that Bombard’s First Amendment rights were violated following an unnecessary traffic stop and retaliatory arrest in 2018.
According to the complaint, Officer Jay Riggen stopped Bombard’s vehicle in St. Albans on Feb. 9, 2018, because he believed Bombard had given him the middle finger, which Bombard denied but admitted to yelling expletives and giving him the finger after the initial stop.
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Bombard was stopped again, arrested on suspicion of disturbing the peace, and his car was towed away. He was detained for more than an hour and arraigned in criminal court, according to the ACLU. The charges were eventually dropped.
This image, taken from police dashcam footage, shows Gregory Bombard being arrested in St. Albans, Vermont, on Feb. 9, 2018. The state of Vermont has agreed to pay $175,000 to settle a lawsuit on behalf of Bombard, who was charged in 2018 with giving a state trooper the middle finger, the Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union announced Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (American Civil Liberties Union/Vermont State Police via The Associated Press)
Under the settlement signed by the parties this month, the state agreed to pay Bombard $100,000 and the ACLU of Vermont and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression $75,000 in legal fees.
“While our client is pleased with the outcome, this incident should never have happened in the first place,” Hilary Rich, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, said in a statement. “Police must respect everyone’s First Amendment rights, even if they find something offensive or offensive.”
Vermont State Police has not commented on the settlement. The state of Vermont did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
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In a statement provided by the ACLU, Bombard said he would like to see Vermont State Police train its officers “not to silence criticism or conduct unfounded car stops.”
