Driver arrested after giving trooper middle finger settles for $175K
A $175,000 settlement has been reached in the lawsuit of a Vermont man who said he was arrested after giving an officer the middle finger, the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday.
A $175,000 settlement has been reached in the lawsuit of a Vermont man who said he was arrested after giving an officer the middle finger, the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday.
The civil rights organization said that a state police trooper pulled over Gregory Bombard, claiming he had made the gesture, which Bombard denied. An argument followed and then Bombard did give the officer the middle finger, which led to his arrest on allegations of disorderly conduct, the ACLU said.
“Police need to respect everyone’s First Amendment rights — even for things they consider offensive or insulting,” Hillary Rich, staff attorney with the ACLU of Vermont, said in a statement.
The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU of Vermont and the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, against the trooper and the state of Vermont.
The defendants did not admit any guilt, the settlement agreement says.
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