Home / Crime and Justice / Driver Claims 'Sovereign Citizen' Status During Chase
Driver Claims 'Sovereign Citizen' Status During Chase
15 Jun
Summary
- Driver led police on a brief chase after failing to stop.
- The driver claimed to be a 'sovereign citizen'.
- The driver was detained after the pursuit concluded.
Late Saturday night, a Hoquiam Police Department officer observed a vehicle traveling without headlights and below the speed limit. When the officer attempted a traffic stop, the driver initially complied before accelerating away, initiating a pursuit.
A deputy from the Gray's Harbor Sheriff's Department joined the chase as the driver continued northbound on Lincoln Street and then US 101. The pursuit concluded when a Hoquiam officer strategically blocked the vehicle's path.
Upon investigation, officers determined the driver was not impaired by drugs or alcohol. The individual instead identified as a "sovereign citizen," a self-proclaimed status asserting exemption from legal authority. The Hoquiam Police Department confirmed that this assertion did not exempt the driver from the law, and the individual was subsequently detained.
