Man arrested for giving police officer the middle finger receives $175,000

A driver who was arrested for giving a police officer the middle finger has received a handsome cash settlement – and plans for how he will spend the money are already taking shape.

Gregory Bombard, who was taken into custody in February 2018, has settled his lawsuit against the state of Vermont and the Vermont State Police officer for $175,000, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

According to a lawsuit filed in 2021, police officer Jay Riggen stopped Bombard’s vehicle in St. Albans because he believed Bombard was “extending and displaying his left middle finger above the steering wheel.”

Despite his refusal, Bombard was subjected to an interrogation lasting several minutes, according to the lawsuit documents.

Gregory Bombard was arrested in 2018. (FIRE)

After his arrest, Bombard returned to his car, where he cursed at the police officer and gave him the middle finger as he drove away.

This incident prompted Riggen to stop Bombard a second time, arrest him for disorderly conduct, and order his car to be towed.

The Vermont man was subsequently arrested and held at the Vermont State Police St. Albans barracks for over an hour before being arraigned in criminal court.

Almost a year after his arrest, the criminal proceedings against Bombard were dropped.

In 2021, the man filed suit against Riggen and the state of Vermont, claiming that the initial stop violated his “right to protection from unjust seizure and false arrest.”

He claimed that the first stop violated his “right to protection from unjustified seizure and unlawful arrest.” (FIRE)

He further stated that raising the middle finger in protest against a police officer’s conduct was “free speech protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article 13 of the Vermont State Constitution.”

Following a trial, Bombard was awarded a $175,000 settlement because the 2018 incident violated his First Amendment rights.

$100,000 of the settlement amount will be paid to Bombard to cover damages, and the other $75,000 will be used for legal fees.

Commenting on the decision, Bombard said, “I hope that with this settlement, the Vermont State Police will train its officers not to silence criticism or conduct warrantless car stops.”

He also revealed what he plans to do with the money. Among other things, he will invite his parents to a well-deserved meal.

“And now I can at least pay my criminal defense attorney to defend me against the false charges and treat my 88-year-old mother to a nice dinner,” he said.

Commenting on her client’s victory, Hillary Rich, attorney for the ACLU of Vermont, said: “While our client is pleased with the outcome, this incident should never have happened.

“Police must respect the rights of all people under the First Amendment to the Constitution, including when they engage in acts they find offensive or abusive.”

She added that state lawmakers “must do more” to prevent “unnecessary and unjustified police deployments” by “reducing the presence and sweeping powers” of police in communities.

UNILAD has contacted the Vermont State Police for further comment.