Black Truck Driver Files $20 Million Lawsuit After Courthouse Assault Goes Viral

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, NC - Don D. Long II, the 39-year-old Black truck driver whose assault by Northampton County Sheriff’s Deputy Gregory Colson has gone viral on social media, has sued Deputy Colson and Northampton County Sheriff Jack E. Smith for $20 million over the unlawful use of force that left the commercial truck driver with permanent damage to his vision. Video of the assault against Long has sparked wide outrage receiving over five million views across social media platforms since it was posted on Friday.

Long is represented by renowned national civil rights attorney Harry Daniels, Chantel Cherry-Lassiter and Gerald Griggs.

The incident occurred on January 22, 2026 when Long arrived at the Northampton County

Courthouse as required to appear for a court date. Upon entering the courtroom, he was stopped by  Deputy Colson who attempted to prevent him from entering. Long asked to enter the courtroom expressing his concern that failure to appear as required could result in a bench warrant and possible arrest. Rather than addressing those concerns, Deputy Colson instead chose to exit the courtroom himself and discharge pepper spray directly into Mr. Long's eyes even though Long posed no threat and was simply trying to follow the court’s instructions.

Deputy Colson went on to further assault Long who was later detained in a holding cell within the courthouse where, restrained by handcuffs, he continued to suffer in pain unable to wash the pepper spray from his eyes. Eventually, other officers transported Long to the hospital where he was found to have significant injuries and permanent vision impairment. As a commercial truck driver, the damage to his vision Deputy Colson caused is a serious threat to Long’s livelihood.

“Not only does Deputy Colson try to prevent Don Long from following the law and make his court appearance, he assaulted him without cause, sprayed pepper spray in his eyes at close range, permanently damaging his vision, and then sucker punched him while he was blinded,” Cherry-Lassiter said. “If any citizen had done this. He would have been charged with a crime and that’s exactly what should happen to Deputy Colson.”