A blogger who founded a “police accountability group” in 2010 is now being sued by a Virginia state trooper after he made defamatory statements about her online.
The heated encounter that Nathan Cox had with state trooper Melanie McKenney happened Memorial Day weekend in 2012, along Interstate 295, after he was pulled over for failing to display his front license plate.
The incident was recorded on Cox’s cellphone and the trooper’s dash cam. He later posted the exchange on YouTube and on his blog, “Virginia Cop Block.”
“It took him almost a mile before his vehicle pulled over and, of course, we’re always looking for things that may be unusual because you never know what you’re going to get during a traffic stop,” McKenney told FoxNews.com Monday.
Cox claims that the trooper molested him during the stop, while trying to grab his cellphone from him and patting him down. Later he made a statement that the molestation was not sexual in nature.
McKenney’s lawyer says false statements made by Cox on his blog constitute defamation. “You can look at the dash cam video and see that she did not assault him or molest him,” he told FoxNews.com. “If anything, she could have arrested him for causing problems.”
McKenney first filed her lawsuit in May 2013 in small claims court for $5,000. She then re-filed in March 2014 in circuit court for $1.35 million — an amount set by her attorney, according to Fox News.
The 12-year veteran of the Virginia State Police says she was simply doing her job. “It would be different if I was a rogue officer trampling on his rights; but this is not me,” McKenney said.
Cox and his blog are known to law enforcement in the area. The McKenney case is not the first time Cox has been caught in a legal dispute over his First Amendment rights.
He was awarded $10,000 in 2012 from the state of Virginia for an alleged illegal traffic stop. Cox says while driving in Richmond a year earlier, he saw a police officer on the side of the road next to another vehicle. He pulled out his megaphone and blasted, “Stop harassing people, we pay your paychecks.” The officer then got into his vehicle and pulled Cox over.
One for the good guys.
She lost, so you’re right.
Surely one to watch. I would have liked to see the blog post.
Sad. I’ve been an LEO for over 26 years. I’ve never adjusted to seeing dwarfs and women impersonating police officers. This gal was careless so many times that she could have easily had her azzz handed to her by this guy. She allowed to get way too close to her on a dozen or more occasions.
Easy to judge when you’re not there
Impersonating police officers? Take your chauvinistic ass somewhere else unless you’ve handled every call, traffic stop, or encounter flawlessly.
Impersonating police officers? Take your chauvinistic “azzz” somewhere else unless you’ve handled every call, traffic stop, or encounter flawlessly.
If he was armed she would’ve gotten shot for opening the car door and trying to get his phone! Very irresponsible behavior on her part. Is that proper procedure?
These idiots need to realize there are guns out there made to look like cell phones. He said he was a U. S. Army veteran, well he sure failed the discipline and respect part. Maybe he needs to go back for a redo or get sent to Marine Corps Basic, there he would learn respect and discipline.
Please stop peddling that “guns that look like cell phones” crap, there’s never been a single instance of what found in the US, and if you think there is please cite a CREDITABLE source.
PS, she lost her LOL suit
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