Mosely Matheson, managing partner at Matheson and Associates, who represents the man who shot the video, Joseph Joines, led off the media event, held in a conference room in the Marriott Raleigh City Center Wednesday afternoon, about 270 miles from the site of the incident. Matheson said that he was appalled by the “intimidation tactics” used against his client, as well as how the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office responded.

Not only is Matheson representing Joins, but also Angelica Hindon, a Florida truck driver who claimed she was subject to abuse when Joines, allegedly trying to escape the group of men, sought refuge in her truck.

“The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office chose to ignore their rights, deny equal protection and subject them to civil abuse,” Matheson said.

A brief video, shot on June 26 by Joines, whose TikTok handle is “@noturningback_98 BossedUpp Ent,” depicts the other men using threatening and profane language when telling him to leave the dump. The video was eventually taken down, but other social media users and media outlets have shared copies of the video hundreds of times.

Following the incident, the backlash was so bad that Haywood County government had to issue a statement telling people that the location where the incident occurred is not owned by the county.

“Unfortunately, in response to this video, Haywood County solid waste facilities, staff and contractors have received threatening phone calls,” the statement read. “We encourage the public to seek accurate information before responding to a situation.”

After the video went viral, despite few facts around the incident being confirmed, sensational media stories stoked hostilities and people took sides, either with the driver or with the group of men, who were painted by Joines’ attorneys as violent aggressors. Much of the criticism of the group of men confronting Joins, a Black man, alleged their vitriol was racially motivated.

While Matheson said he would not be addressing the alleged racial element of the incident, he noted that the “videos speak for themselves.” In addition, the release announcing the press conference called the incident a “racially charged assault.”

Joins also spoke at the press conference, retelling the events of June 26, as he recalled them. He described that among the group of five men was Andrew Ferguson, armed with a handgun, who was threatening him. Joines claimed that eventually, workers used a bulldozer to dip his trailer, which threw him about the cab of the truck. Joins said that by the end of the incident, he had pain in his neck, back and hip. He was taken to the hospital and released with a neck brace, he said.

“I’m having trouble sleeping. I’m experiencing a lot of distress and anxiety,” he said, adding that he hasn’t been employed since the incident.

The dump is owned by Two Banks Development LLC, also known as TBD. TBD, along with some of its employees will be named as defendants in the suit, attorneys said. TBD owner Eric Spirtas also runs Spirtas Worldwide, the company that bought the Canton paper mill in January 2025, about a year and a half after it closed. The TBD dump has been used as a site for contractors to bring debris as the Hurricane Helene cleanup continues.

In a July 30 statement, TBD claimed that those critical of the hostile group, which apparently included at least one TBD employee, didn’t understand the story fully. The statement claims that that law enforcement was called and investigated; at this point, no charges have been filed as a result of the conflict.

“This incident — the only case of serious noncompliance involving a third-party truck driver out of more than 30,000 successful truckloads received to date — involved a contracted driver who violated site policies and engaged in aggressive behavior on site,” a July 30 statement issued by TBD read. “The video being circulated omits critical elements of the incident.”

Likewise, a statement released on behalf of the landfill by the lawfirm Moore & Van Allen following the press conference disputed any claim that Joines was a victim of any misconduct or prejudice. "In fact, Joines engaged in aggressive and threatening behavior and broke the facility’s rules, as well as state and federal law," that statement reads.

"Mr. Joines's posted videos are selected to tell an untrue story," it continues. "Prior to the scene depicted in a misleading video clip, there were many attempts by Landfill employees to de-escalate the situation caused by his actions. A timeline of multiple outgoing calls for help, and ultimately to 911, demonstrates the significant efforts made by the landfill employees to resolve the situation quickly and safely."

At one point in the video, part-time Haywood County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Buckner is among the most vocal of the men recorded and at one point said, “I’m going to put you in jail.” On July 29, the Sheriff’s Office, in an email to The Smoky Mountain News, said there is an active investigation into Buckner’s actions and conduct.

The attorneys also alleged that at one point, Sheriff Wilke himself showed up, adding that Wilke didn’t show the proper leadership by taking control of the situation.

According to the attorneys, the lawsuit will be filed in federal court in the coming weeks, claiming that Joins’ 14th Amendment due process and equal protection rights were violated.

Ultimately, attorney Karl W. Roth, who spoke last, said that he believes his client was “seconds away from being shot,” although he didn’t indicate what may have stopped that threat.

“It was out of control to the point that it’s amazing Mr. Joins is standing here with us today,” he said.