Sovereign citizens, or SovCits, believe they’ve discovered a way to live in the United States without obeying laws or paying taxes. However, their vision isn’t shared by law enforcement or the legal system, often leading to confrontations when SovCits are stopped by police officers. Such encounters typically involve a lengthy philosophical discourse from the SovCit, and the cop becoming frustrated.
In this video, we are treated to various police bodycam videos depicting these interactions between officers and SovCits. In one video, a young man is pulled over and, despite not having a license, presents a stack of documents purporting to show that he doesn’t need one. When he drives away from the officer, he is promptly arrested. A subsequent vehicle search uncovers drugs in his car, which he vehemently claims were planted by the officers, and threatens a lawsuit.
In another incident, an officer pulls over a SovCit for driving with a fraudulent license plate. (Perhaps like this one?) After refusing to cooperate, the SovCit is forcibly removed from the car and arrested. The officers find a gun in the car, which the SovCit contends isn’t a weapon since he didn’t brandish it, apparently a rule in the SovCit belief system.
In a third video, an officer pulls over a man who appears to be under the influence of drugs and informs him that he intends to search the car due to the smell of marijuana. The man refuses consent and threatens to sue the officer. He, like the others, is arrested.
A pattern seems to be emerging here.
