A man ticketed for revving his truck's engine has lost his appeal to the Nova Scotia Police Review Board. Thomas Everett claimed that an officer had been stalking him due to his participation in a protest at the New Brunswick border in 2022. The board reviewed the case after the chief of the Amherst Police Department dismissed Everett's complaints against Cpl. Derek Hebert.

The incident occurred on July 24, 2023, when Cpl. Hebert, a 16-year veteran, was called in as backup for a traffic stop. He testified that while he was at the scene, Everett drove by in the opposite direction. According to Hebert, Everett slowed down, then accelerated while revving his engine, which had a loud aftermarket muffler. This action caused his tires to "chirp," drawing the attention of a couple nearby. Hebert noted that Everett's acceleration posed a risk to another vehicle ahead of him.

Everett denied that he "chirped" his tires but acknowledged that he slowed down and then sped up. He argued that Hebert had labeled him a "cop hater" because of his involvement in the previous protest. The review board's decision did not explore the details of the protest, as it was not central to the case.

The board noted that Hebert was aware of the protest and had heard the term "cop hater" used to describe Everett. However, Hebert testified that he had never met Everett before and only knew where he lived and what he looked like. After the tire chirping incident, Hebert followed Everett and pulled him over. Portions of the traffic stop were recorded on the police vehicle's dashcam, and Everett's wife live-streamed the interaction on Facebook.

During the stop, Hebert requested Everett's license, insurance, and registration. Everett handed over a plastic envelope containing the documents but refused to remove them. Hebert then took the documents out one by one and tossed them back into Everett's lap. Hebert issued a ticket, and the review board found no evidence of aggressive behavior from either party. The board stated that tossing the documents back did not constitute a disciplinary violation, especially considering that Everett was live-streaming the encounter.

Everett also claimed that Hebert was "stalking" him on June 14, 2023. Hebert explained that he was patrolling Mission Street when he thought he heard someone call out to him from a gathering near Everett's home. Video evidence showed a woman approaching Hebert, upset about a traffic ticket he had issued. There was little interaction between Hebert and the woman, and none with Everett.

The review board concluded that there was no evidence to support Everett's claims of being targeted or stalked by Hebert. They noted that Everett had no prior involvement with the police and did not appear to be a significant figure in any protests. The board found that Hebert had a valid reason to be on Mission Street and determined that there was no misconduct related to the tire chirping incident. They affirmed that it was within Hebert's discretion to issue the ticket.