Delaware State Police will pay a $50,000 judgment to a man who filed a lawsuit after they stopped him from warning motorists about a radar speed trap by tearing up his sign.
A judgment was entered in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in favor of Jonathan Guessford, 54, on Friday, leading to DSP’s agreement to pay him $50,000. Mr. Guessford had contended that the law enforcement agency had violated his constitutional rights, violating his right to peaceful protest by seizing and tearing up his sign.
The March 11, 2022, confrontation between Mr. Guessford and Trooper Nicholas Gallo, Cpl. Stephen Douglas, Master Cpl. Alphonso Jones and Master Cpl. Raiford Box was caught on cellphone camera footage uploaded to YouTube by user Morgan Kramer.
Cpl. Douglas told Mr. Guessford that he was “disrupting traffic” while Trooper Gallo claimed that a witness saw Mr. Guessford “jumping into traffic.”
Dashcam video from law enforcement vehicles showed Cpl. Douglas lunging twice to prevent Mr. Guessford from raising his warning sign before Mr. Gallo successfully took it and tore it up, according to The Associated Press.
As Mr. Guessford drove away afterward, he flipped the officers the bird. Dashcam video then shows Cpl. Douglas, with Master Cpl. Jones with him, racing after Mr. Guessford going more than 100 miles per hour in a 55-mile-per-hour zone, according to the AP. Trooper Gallo and Master Cpl. Box followed close behind.
While Master Cpl. Jones claimed the extended middle finger was criminal, Cpl. Douglas said Mr. Guessford was pulled over for an improper hand signal, according to Mr. Guessford’s complaint filed in the court.
The group of troopers then threatened to have Mr. Guessford’s car towed, to have him locked up, and to have his young child taken away by child services, the complaint alleged.
“It’s not a threat, it’s a promise,” Master Cpl. Box said, according to the AP.
Master Cpl. Jones’ citation of Mr. Guessford for failing to issue a proper right-turn hand signal was dismissed on June 29, 2022.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.