this post was submitted on 27 Jun 2024
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Vermont has agreed to pay $175,000 to settle a lawsuit on behalf of a man who was charged with a crime for giving a state trooper the middle finger in 2018, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday. 

The lawsuit was filed in 2021 by the ACLU of Vermont on behalf of Gregory Bombard, of St. Albans. It says Bombard’s First Amendment rights were violated after an unnecessary traffic stop and retaliatory arrest in 2018.

Trooper Jay Riggen stopped Bombard’s vehicle in St. Albans on Feb. 9, 2018, because he believed Bombard had shown him the middle finger, according to the lawsuit. Bombard denied that but says he did curse and display the middle finger once the initial stop was concluded.

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[–] pubquiz@lemmy.world 159 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Vermont State Police did not have a comment

LOL, the pigs fuck up, the state shuts up and the taxpayers pay up.

1312

[–] bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone 33 points 4 months ago (3 children)
[–] PoolloverNathan@programming.dev 28 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Alphabetical index — ACAB

[–] bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone 25 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Ah got it. Unfortunately makes me think of 88 so I probably won’t adopt it.

[–] SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I think of it as "taking number substitution back", or 20-14-19-2. We can't let fascists, Nazis, and general scum bags ruin everything.

[–] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm still trying to take "libertarian" back.

[–] lost_faith@lemmy.ca 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I want 👌 back to meaning OK!

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[–] bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I get that but I am not particularly attached to number substitution as social messaging personally lol like no disrespect to yall who want to use it, I just live in the south and the dog whistles are endless. Misinterpretation can get weird here too.

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[–] Soulg@sh.itjust.works 8 points 4 months ago

Yep my immediate thought too

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[–] 555_1@lemmy.world 10 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] Gork@lemm.ee 4 points 4 months ago

Ave, Caesar!

[–] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 21 points 4 months ago

Obligatory: end qualified immunity. Let them get "malpractice insurance".

[–] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 88 points 4 months ago (4 children)

This is settled law. It's been this way for a long time. Multiple people have had huge monetary settlements in multiple states for being arrested for flipping off a cop.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 57 points 4 months ago (1 children)

My father-in-law smiled and waved at a CHP cop when driving through California and got pulled over and told that was illegal, but was let off with a warning. Which I always thought was bullshit. Sounds like it is.

But the guy liked cops. He was literally just saying hi to a cop because he liked cops.

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 32 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Did he like them after that?

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 41 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

He was a white evangelical (but never preachy) Republican from Indiana who was born in 1931. So not even a boomer, someone who had kids who were boomers. He died loving cops. He didn't even hold it against that guy because he assumed he'd broken the law and was glad the nice cop let him off with a warning.

He was an old man and had some very archaic ideas about the world. When he was home, he watched old Westerns, sports, or Fox News. I assume he voted for Trump in 2016. But he was also super nice to everyone no matter who they were. He was just not a judgmental sort of guy on an individual level. He was the sort of person who would would have a friendly conversation to find out when the restaurant waiter got off their shift and what they were planning to do that day and said he hoped they had a good time doing it.

So he probably (I never asked) believed in the "gay agenda," but would also be happy to have a friendly chat with some people hanging outside a gay bar if he happened to walked by and saw that people were standing there. Even if he knew it was a gay bar.

[It's his birthday today, so he's been on my mind.]

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 15 points 4 months ago (4 children)

That's really nice.

We've also lost a lot of this, which is a shame.

I'd love to be part of bringing back being able to disagree with people on issues but still treat each other well. Like people.

I do try to remember to try. We all should.

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[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Happy Birthday, Flying Squid Sr (in-law). 🎂

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago

In-law. Not my dad. Although they were both born in 1931 coincidentally. Both no longer with us unfortunately.

[–] 5oap10116@lemmy.world 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"

"Idk because you're butthurt?"

[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 5 points 4 months ago

"Small dick?"

[–] Hikermick@lemmy.world 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Imma gonna go flip off some cops and get rich

[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Or die trying. Be careful you dont get the road rage ranger.

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[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 11 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Yeah but cops don't care about the law.

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[–] zaph@sh.itjust.works 39 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Flipped off a cop when I was a teenager and that fucker tried following us home.

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 7 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Tried? Like you somehow escaped a cop following you?

[–] zaph@sh.itjust.works 24 points 4 months ago

He didn't turn on lights and sirens and had to wait on a few cars before he could turn around so it wasn't that hard but we saw him driving slowly around the neighborhood looking for my friend's truck. Fortunately it was in the garage with the door shut before he was on the right block.

[–] Malfeasant@lemmy.world 13 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I did way back when I was 18/19... I was riding my bike home from work, and a cop directing traffic yelled at me to get out of the street. Without even thinking, I yelled back "go fuck yourself". He called to his partner across the intersection, "Mike, get him!". Mike was on a motorcycle. I was sure I was fucked, but I knew the neighborhood, so after salmoning up a one way street full of double parked cars, and taking a couple turns, one being into a narrow alley that's almost invisible unless you already know it's there, I got behind him - figured that was the best place to be... He never looked back, just slowed down, looking in doorways, between/under parked cars, until I got within a couple blocks of my house, then I hauled ass and locked myself (and bike) in the basement for the next half hour.

[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I was riding my bike home from work, and a cop directing traffic yelled at me to get out of the street.

Wait what did he want you to do? Ride in the pedestrian area with your vehicle?

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[–] SlamWich@lemmy.world 33 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I give em the bird every time I see em, because I know this is settled law.

[–] extremeboredom@lemmy.world 24 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The American Gestapo exist to enforce their feelings and advance the interests of wealthy property owners.

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[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] IamSparticles@lemmy.zip 5 points 4 months ago

Yeah, I watched it the other day. That cop was nuts. "I thought maybe you were signaling me because you needed help." Bullshit. He just wanted him to admit he'd flipped him off because he thought he could charge him for that.

[–] Etterra@lemmy.world 7 points 4 months ago

Good. Fuck that cop.

[–] Senokir@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago

https://youtu.be/zHbv2YQ6yF4

Good video covering the incident in detail

[–] HurlingDurling@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

A couple of days ago I watched a tiktok vid about a lady being arrested for flipping the bird to a cop and then proceeding to turn without signaling... yep that was the charge.

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