Corey Lambert, a commercial truck driver, is suing over the actions of two police officers in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He claims they ignored his First and Fourth Amendment rights by pulling him over and detaining him without valid cause.

On February 10, 2023, Lambert passed a police cruiser and raised his middle finger at the officers inside. Two officers immediately pulled him over. One walked up to Lambert’s personal pickup and asked if the gesture was supposed to signal his direction. Lambert replied that he flipped the bird simply because he wanted to communicate his personal opinions, not signal a navigational move.

The officer then demanded his license, registration, and proof of insurance. When Lambert questioned the reason for the stop, the officer admitted that it was because of his hand signal, calling it an “improper hand display,” the Atlanta Black Star said.

Lambert pushed back, arguing that wasn’t a valid reason for a traffic stop. The other officer then approached the truck and warned Lambert to hand over his documents or face arrest.

When Lambert asked why he faced arrest, the officer yanked open his door. They pulled him out of the vehicle and handcuffed him.

Lambert’s lawyer, a civil rights attorney, posted the body cam footage on his YouTube channel.

Once they had Lambert in the back of their cruiser, they ignored his repeated questions about the reason for his arrest. At one point, Engle turned off his body cam audio. 

The officers engaged in additional discussion, searched Lambert’s truck, and took a cigarette break, but the footage recorded zero sound during that time.

Police booked the truck driver into a local jail, where he spent three days before he could post his $1,211 cash-only bond.

During that time, he lost his job as a truck driver. Prosecutors charged him with improper hand and arm signals, two counts of obstructing police, and no proof of insurance. Three months later, they dropped one of the obstruction charges.

West Virginia law requires drivers to use correct hand and arm signals when their turn signals don’t work. However, the officer admitted in his report that Lambert wasn’t using his middle finger to indicate a turn; he was just flipping the officers off. Despite that, the officer still cited him for a municipal violation.

Lambert’s lawsuit argues that the officers arrested him in retaliation for exercising his free speech rights. The truck driver also accuses them of searching his vehicle illegally and detaining him without reasonable suspicion. His complaint claims the city of Martinsburg allows officers to target people for criticizing the police.

Martinsburg officials say they are reviewing the case and plan to provide additional training to their officers to ensure they respect constitutional rights.