Kingsport man sues police for retaliation after filming speeding SUV

Joshua Gibbons has filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Kingsport, its police chief, and several officers, alleging First Amendment retaliation. The legal action follows the overturning of a criminal conviction against Gibbons by a Tennessee appellate court.

The dispute originated in October 2022, when Gibbons recorded a Kingsport police SUV traveling at high speeds without emergency lights activated. After Gibbons posted the footage online, the lawsuit alleges the police department began scrutinizing his activities. Authorities subsequently obtained a warrant for disorderly conduct and traffic violations, which the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) claims was secured through a court clerk rather than a judge.

Following the warrant, eight armed officers conducted a pre-dawn raid on Gibbons’ home, taking him into custody in the presence of his family. Gibbons contends the aggressive police response was a direct attempt to retaliate against his protected speech and his habit of recording police activity.