Trucker to file federal lawsuit against landfill, sheriff’s office over viral altercation

By Kelly Doty

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    HAYWOOD COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — Attorneys for a trucker behind several viral videos showing a chaotic altercation at a North Carolina landfill plan to file a federal lawsuit, alleging civil rights violations by landfill and sheriff’s office staff.

Matheson & Associates, PLLC, a Raleigh-based law firm, announced the accusations against TBD Landfill and the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office during a press conference on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The attorneys were joined by Joseph Joines, the Black man who originally shared the videos, and Angelica Hendon, a trucker who worked at the same company as Joines and was at the scene when the June 26, 2025, incident occurred.

Attorney Moseley Matheson claimed that individuals with TBD Landfill assaulted Joines and Hendon and used physical force and intimidation tactics to harm them without cause. Matheson went on to claim a Haywood County sheriff’s deputy was not only present during the entire incident but also participated in the assault.

“Let me be clear: Mr. Joines and Ms. Hendon are not just victims of assault. They are victims of a system that failed them,” Matheson said. “A system where private violence was followed by official indifference, where power was abused and the basic principles of due process and civil rights were trampled.”

Matheson said that while the issue of race surrounding the incident has been widely discussed, he wouldn’t comment further, saying, “The videos speak for themselves.”

Matheson & Associates said it planned to file the suit in federal district court in the coming weeks and invited anyone with information, statements, or video they’d like to share to send an email to info@mathesonlawoffice.com.

The trucker’s account

During Wednesday’s press conference, Joines said he was approached by five workers, one of whom he said was armed with a gun on his hip. He said the armed man accused him of stealing a cell phone, which Joines denied.

After reaching the unloading position at the landfill, Joines said the men approached him again, this time with the armed man holding the gun in his hand. Frightened, Joines said he tried to leave in his truck but was rammed “head-on” by a bulldozer, while another bulldozer ran into his trailer, tipping it on its side.

“I was right on the edge of a steep embankment, and I thought that they were going to kill me,” Joines said.

He said he eventually got out of his truck and ran across the field to Hendon’s truck.

Hendon claimed that after Joines got into her truck, the armed man pointed a gun at them while another worker reached into her truck and took her keys.

“I was in fear for my life and extremely upset when I ordered Joseph out of my truck so the TBD employees would leave me alone,” Hendon said during the press conference.

When a deputy responded to the scene, Joines said that he requested an ambulance, which was called. He said he was given a neck brace, treated and released.

TBD Landfill’s response

TBD Landfill, a privately owned site in Clyde that’s operated by Two Banks Development, disputed any claim that Joines was a victim of misconduct or prejudice on the landfill property, adding, “In fact, Joines engaged in aggressive and threatening behavior and broke the facility’s rules, as well as state and federal law.”

The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office told News 13 on Wednesday that it would not comment on any pending or possible litigation.

An incident report by the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office listed Joines as a victim, with simple assault, injury to personal property and assault by pointing a gun listed under “Crime Incident.” The report also noted a handgun under “Weapons/Tools.”

No charges have been filed in the case.

The videos

The first set of videos on Joines’ TikTok account garnered more than 9 million views before they were removed.

They showed several landfill workers screaming and cursing at Joines. In the caption of the video, Joines claimed several men attacked him after accusing him of stealing a cell phone, then used bulldozers to tip over his truck while he was at the top of the landfill.

In one video, Joines is heard asking one of the men, “You’re the sheriff, right?” to which the man responds, “Yes.” The man then appears to close the door of Joines’ truck, and a dog is heard yelping. Joines is then heard telling the man that he slammed the door on his dog. The man responds, “I didn’t slam it on your dog.”

In prior reporting, Haywood County officials confirmed that one of the men seen in the videos “has been a part-time deputy with [the] Haywood County Sheriff’s Office since 2019.”

As previously reported, TBD Landfill denied the claims made in the video caption, saying the trucker had engaged in aggressive behavior and the social media videos omitted critical elements.

The first set of videos was removed from Joines’ account by July 30, 2025, with Joines posting the following statement:

“I’ve decided to remove the videos from my page. My goal was to bring awareness and seek support and I’ve been able to do both. Coco and I are truly grateful for every message, comment, and share. Your support has meant a lot to us. That said, every time the video is shared or commented on, I get a notification and it’s become triggering. Watching it over and over feels like I’m reliving the experience, and I can’t keep putting myself through that. For my healing and peace of mind, I need to remove the videos. Thank you again for standing with me.”

However, as of Aug. 13, the old videos have returned to Joines’ account, along with two new ones of the incident. The first showed one of the men seen screaming at Joines in one of the original videos with an object in his hand as Joines pleads with him not to shoot. One of the men can be heard saying, “We aren’t. You’re going to jail.”

Another clip, credited to FashionKlub Platform, shows several men standing or walking near an idle truck in the distance. When the truck begins to lurch forward, several of the men lunge for the cab and try to open the driver’s side door. The view becomes obstructed by other objects in the foreground and camera movements, until a new angle reveals what looks like a collision between the moving truck and a bulldozer.

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