VA State

A self-styled police watchdog which got a $75 violation from a Virginia state trooper in 2012 is now facing a $1.3 million lawsuit - after he posted the encounter on the net and accused the cop of molesting him.

On 26, 2012, Memorial Day week-end, Nathan Cox of Mechanicsville, Va., was driving in the southbound lane of Interstate 295 just after 3 p.m. when Officer Melanie McKenney regarding the Virginia State Police pulled him over for failing to show their front permit plate.

The occasions that transpired after that - including Cox's publishing for the ordeal to his web log "Virginia Cop Block" - would end in a $1.35 million suit against him.

The traffic end ended up being controversial from the beginning. McKenney immediately purchased Cox, who's a concealed tools permit, from his automobile, while Cox started tracking the event on their cellphone.

"It took him almost a mile before his vehicle stopped and, naturally, we are always finding things that can be unusual because you never know what you're likely to get during a traffic stop, " McKenney told FoxNews.com Monday.

"I'm nearing, looking inside house windows, and then hehas their back a little towards me personally and he's keeping an object, " she said. "For my safety, I felt he needed to walk out regarding the car."

The thing had been Cox's mobile phone, that he was using to legally record the incident. After going through the car, McKenney ordered Cox, a 33-year-old Iraq War veteran, to place these devices upon the car in place of holding it over her head out of worry it can be made use of as a weapon.

McKenney insists she desired the telephone placed on the rear of Cox's vehicle such that it could not be applied as a blunt force object to hit the lady - not to end it from recording.

"you will find reports of cellphones looking like firearms, " stated McKenney, a 12-year veteran of this Virginia condition Police. "I experienced no issue with him tracking me personally. I was already being taped with all the dash cam."

"He wasn’t compliant when he got out from the vehicle, " she stated.

Cox, who was quickly frisked by McKenney, in addition had an expired inspection sticker. Ultimately, Cox obtained two tickets from McKenney: one for the assessment failure, that has been later on dismissed after he starred in court, and another for $75 for their failure to produce his front side license plate.

The ordeal couldn't sit really with Cox, who stated he feels his constitutional liberties had been broken.

Through Freedom of data Act, he later on received the 28-minute dash cam video clip including radio transmissions and texting delivered between McKenney along with her peers and posted it-all to his blog site. While sitting inside the woman police cruiser after the confrontation, McKenney are heard in one single radio transmission informing another officer, "I do not desire myself on any Youtube or whatever, " whenever colleague informs the woman about Cox's weblog. She will also be heard protecting this lady purchases to possess Cox move outside his automobile.

"It took him quite a few years to pull over therefore I just desired him to leave associated with vehicle, " she tells a colleague. "I do not wish to search their vehicle - I do not desire any such thing like this but I don't - if he's got a gun ..."

The YouTube movie for the confrontation happens to be seen more than 600, 000 times to date.

Cox along with his blog site are known to police force in the region - while the McKenney instance isn't the first time Cox happens to be embroiled in a legal dispute over their First Amendment liberties.

Cox had been awarded $10, 000 in April 2012 from the condition of Virginia for a so-called unlawful traffic stop. As Cox describes it, he had been operating in Richmond per year earlier when he saw a Virginia Commonwealth University officer involved with another automobile quietly regarding the roadway. Cox pulled aside his megaphone - that he said he makes use of at police demonstrations - and blasted, "'Stop harassing folks, we pay your paychecks.'" The officer after that got into his automobile with the sirens on and pulled Cox over - an event he in addition recorded on their cellular phone and later posted to their web log.

Cox ended up being faced with disorderly conduct, but a judge later dismissed the cost. Then he hired well-known constitutional rights lawyer Thomas H. Roberts, who submitted a civil lawsuit against the authorities division. The truth had been settled beyond courtroom and Cox was issued a check because of the condition.

McKenney very first submitted the woman lawsuit in-may 2013 in small-claims judge for $5, 000. She after that re-filed in March 2014 in circuit court for $1.35 million - an amount set by her lawyer, D. Hayden Fisher.

Cox, a libertarian just who stated he when wanted to be an officer, founded in 2010 exactly what he calls a "police accountability team."

"Badges don't give extra rights, " he said, telling FoxNews.com that their team's cause should "hold authorities accountable, need transparency and educate folks to their legal rights."

"We are a reactive and a proactive business inside feeling that when a person gets roughed up by the authorities, we are going to organize demonstrations and bail money if necessary, " he stated.

Into the McKenney instance, Cox said their arms had been raised over his head because "within seconds of me personally getting away from the automobile, she attempted to grab the cellphone from my hand. I told her I had your own to capture this lady."

Roberts, who is representing Cox once more, stated his customer's actions are safeguarded in First Amendment and claims the suit is problematic because many of the claims are barred because of the statute of limitations.

"your blog is safeguarded because of the very first Amendment to protest and complain in regards to the government, " stated Roberts.

"facts are an absolute protection against defamation, " he included, talking about the video and texts gotten by Cox.

But McKenney's lawyer said it's alleged false statements created by Cox on their blog site that constitute defamation - such as for instance a the accusation that McKenney "molested" him through the traffic end.

"You can look at the dash cam video clip to check out that she would not assault him or molest him, " Fisher told FoxNews.com. "If anything, she may have arrested him for causing issues."

Cox defended his molestation statement - that was stated in a do-it-yourself video he uploaded to their weblog. He informed FoxNews.com he thought he had been molested, but "perhaps not intimately."

"She first tried to grab my phone as well as in performing this made undesired contact with me. Then she did an instant pat-down. Then she attempted getting my phone even more, " he said.