10/03/2026
A Tennessee man is suing the Kingsport Police Department after he says officers retaliated against him for filming and publicly criticizing a police officer who was allegedly speeding.
According to the lawsuit, Joshua Gibbons recorded a Kingsport police SUV traveling at a high rate of speed at night without its lights or siren activated in October 2022. Gibbons followed the officer to a fast-food drive-thru, confronted him about the alleged speeding and later posted the footage online.
The lawsuit alleges that after police became aware of the video, investigators searched through Gibbons’ social media and obtained warrants accusing him of speeding, using a cellphone while driving and disorderly conduct.
Then, just nine days after the original encounter, eight armed officers reportedly arrived at his home before dawn and arrested him in front of his mother and daughter.
Gibbons spent nearly four years fighting the case through two trials. His traffic-related charges were dismissed, and the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals ultimately overturned his disorderly conduct conviction, finding there was no evidence his criticism interfered with lawful police activity.
Gibbons is now moving forward with a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging First Amendment retaliation.
“They tried to intimidate me, but I’m not backing down,” Gibbons said. “They sent eight heavily armed officers to arrest me because I embarrassed them.”
