This man fought the law -- and won!
Rod MacIver, a painter and writer from North Ferrisburgh, Vt., knew he hadn't run a red light when he was pulled over by police officer Jason Lawton last December in Shelburne, Vt., he told local station 7DVT.
"As far as I know I’ve never gone through a red light in my life,” MacIver told Lawton, according to the officer's dash cam footage that MacIver later posted online. "I think you’re completely out to lunch. What are you doing, smoking pot or something?”
A clearly irritated MacIver and Lawton argued for a few minutes, before Lawton eventually wrote MacIver the ticket and noted he can always try to contest it in court, the footage shows.
Consider this a challenge accepted. MacIver quickly filed a complaint against Lawton and insisted on viewing the dash cam video from the traffic stop, according to local Fox affiliate Fox 44 News Burlington.
"I just want to see it for myself," MacIver told Fox 44.
The video indeed showed that MacIver did not run the red light.
With the exonerating video footage finally in his possession, MacIver took Lawton to traffic court in March. A thoroughly convinced Judge Howard Kalfus dismissed the ticket, and chastised Lawton for testifying about an event he knew was incorrect, according to 7DVT.
But MacIver wasn't satisfied, and took his story public. He set up a website, titled Shelburne Vermont Police Department Traffic Stop, and posted the dash cam video on YouTube.
"I’ve set up this website because I’ve had three contacts with the Shelburne Vermont Police Department and in all three instances, including once in court under oath, the officers of that department have been deliberately deceptive and dishonest," the website says. "Dishonesty seems to be ingrained in the culture there and encouraged, or at least condoned, by the management of that department."
Now MacIver is suing the city of Shelburne for $2,000 in damages stemming from the bogus stop, according to local station WCAX. On Friday, the hearing was postponed after the defendants -- including police representatives -- did not show up.
"Couple of times I decided that I was just going to drop the whole thing and not pursue it in small claims court, but I read the officer's testimony and I just said I'm not going to let this stand," MacIver told WCAX.