A Tennessee resident is suing the Kingsport Police Department after officers raided his home after he filmed a verbal confrontation with an officer at a restaurant.

Joshua Gibbons, a content creator who records police officers to promote accountability under the moniker “Big G Audits,” filmed a Kingsport Police Department vehicle speeding without lights or sirens in October 2022. He later confronted the officer at a drive-thru and posted video footage of the encounter.

The footage showed the officer making an obscene gesture. The police department responded by targeting Gibbons instead of disciplining the officer, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).


A detective obtained a warrant from a court clerk, and the following morning, eight armed officers executed a pre-dawn raid at Gibbons’ home. They arrested him in front of his mother and daughter on charges of speeding, using a cell phone while driving, and disorderly conduct.

After his arrest, Gibbons faced a lengthy criminal ordeal that spanned almost four years and involved two separate trials. He was initially acquitted of the driving-related infractions, a judge and later a jury convicted him of disorderly conduct based on his confrontation with the officer.

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The Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee in June unanimously reversed the conviction and dismissed the final charge. The court determined there was no evidence that Gibbons’ criticisms had hindered any lawful activity, threatened anyone, or created a physical hazard. It affirmed that using profane or insulting language against law enforcement officers is not a crime.

Now, Gibbons is suing the City of Kingsport and its police department, alleging that the retaliatory pre-dawn raid on his home violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights.

The lawsuit alleges that police scoured his YouTube channel and used the video of the speeding officer to justify his arrest for a minor traffic offense.