Police Ordered To Pay $50k To Man Warning Motorists Of Speed Camera

Delaware State Police will pay $50,000 to a man who filed a federal lawsuit after he claimed troopers infringed upon his constitutional rights to warn drivers about a speed trap, reports CBS News.

Jonathan Guessford, 54, said police acted unlawfully when they stopped him from protesting on the side of the road with a cardboard sign that read, "Radar Ahead!" After a heated, profanity-laden exchange with law enforcement, Guessford had his sign taken away by the police. Officials at the scene decided to let him go, but a frustrated Guessford reportedly gave officers the middle finger as he drove off in his Subaru Forester.

Guessford was then pulled over and cited for improper hand signaling, but dash cam audio from the police vehicle proves officers knew the chargers wouldn't stick. "We have no real basis to write him; it's going to get thrown out," the officers can be heard saying.

One officer reportedly reached 100 mph in a 55 mph zone to catch up to the Guessford. Per the report, officials at the scene threatened to charge him with resisting arrest and intimidated him by saying they'd tow his car and call social services to collect his young son, who was with Guessford at the time. "It's not a threat; it's a promise," said a police officer.

The charges against Guessford were dropped, as expected. What police didn't anticipate is that the disgruntled protester would sue the Delaware State Police, with the 54-year-old claiming that police prevented him from carrying out a lawful and peaceful protest.

Even though the lawsuit was filed in February 2023, the incident occurred in March last year. Other reports claim that several officers faced disciplinary action following an internal investigation into the matter.

Sadly, police officials abusing their power and position is all too common. Earlier this year, an investigation discovered that Connecticut State Troopers had filed more than 26,000 false traffic tickets to meet their quotas. An audit found that officers purposefully filed these fake tickets to qualify for federally funded overtime.

Last year, over in Arkansas, Menifee police were banned from issuing speeding tickets for an entire year after an inquiry found that more than half of the town's revenue was from speeding fines. According to Arkansas state laws, town income collected from traffic infractions cannot exceed 30%.

That being said, myriad departments and law enforcement agencies across the country are working hard to reduce vehicle-related crime, with a focus on illegal street racing and speeding.