West Virginia Deputy J.D. Ellison of the Nicholas County Sheriff's Department pulled over William Iannacone on May 13, 2022 on U.S. Route 19 near Summersville, WV. A stretch of road so notorious for speed traps that a federal judge later referenced it by name in his written opinion. Iannacone's offense? Flashing his headlights to warn oncoming drivers of the speed trap ahead. A act that is protected free speech under the First Amendment in most of the United States, including West Virginia. Deputy Ellison cited him under a lamp equipment statute that has nothing to do with flashing headlights. He then threatened Iannacone with six months in jail over an unsigned registration card. When Iannacone laughed at the absurdity of that threat, Ellison ordered him out of the vehicle, frisked him, and placed him in handcuffs on the side of the road. This video covers the full story, from the original traffic stop, to the shocking magistrate court conviction, to the federal civil rights lawsuit and the March 2025 ruling where U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston denied Deputy Ellison's qualified immunity defense, allowing the case to move forward to trial. 🔔 Subscribe for updates as this case heads to trial. Deputy Ellison is personally named as a defendant and no settlement has been reached. ⚖️ KEY LEGAL FACTS: — The original conviction was overturned on appeal — A federal civil rights lawsuit was filed in May 2024 — Qualified immunity was denied in March 2025 — The Nicholas County Commission was dismissed; Ellison remains personally liable — The case is ongoing as of 2025 This is a real example of contempt of cop, First Amendment retaliation, and qualified immunity reform playing out in real time in the American legal system. 👉 Subscribe for more real police bodycam footage, arrests, and criminal investigations. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:29 Pulled over for flashing beams 2:53 Officer gives driver a citation 3:43 Driver laughes at the cop 4:05 Driver removed from vehicle 4:40 Driver arrested for laughing 5:18 Driver let go 5:57 Bodycam breakdown and court ruling 8:59 Outro Disclaimer: This video contains footage of a real-life incident. Viewer discretion is advised. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This content is provided strictly for informational and educational purposes. All footage is publicly released, used under fair use principles or from the Freedom of Information Act - FOIA

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