Kelly AvellinoA Virginia State Trooper filed a defamation lawsuit against a Mechanicsville man after he posted about a traffic stop online.
Nathan Cox claims Trooper Melanie McKenney violated his rights during the heated encounter over Memorial Day weekend 2012.
Cox, an Army veteran, says the trooper wouldn't let him properly record the stop with his cell phone. He posted about the stop online on the Virginia Copblock website. The cell phone and police dash camera video went viral.
Now, Trooper McKenney has filed suit against Cox for defamation.
During the incident, Cox says Trooper McKenney approached his car and immediately asked him to step out.
"I'm asking you to step out because if you have something in there," McKenney can be heard saying to Cox in the video.
"No ma'am, you're not taking my phone," replied Cox.
Cox says was trying to record the stop on his cell phone, which is legal if it doesn't interfere with an officer's work.
"It brings a level of accountability and transparency because cameras don't lie," explained Cox.
In the video, Trooper McKenney tells Cox she wasn't sure what he had in the car, after she says he made suspicious movements.
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