Unlicensed Sovrun Citizen hits cop with car

[Demosthenes]

Rutland Herald
Article published Sep 9, 2008
Accused speeder secedes
Police: Detained motorist declares himself 'sovereign'
By PATRICK McARDLE Herald Staff

BENNINGTON - A Dorset man, who told the court he does not recognize the right of the state to require a driver's license, was arraigned on Monday after police said he hit a Manchester Police officer with his car while trying to escape a traffic stop.

Claude Emerson Armstrong, 58, was charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault with intent to prevent a police officer from performing his duties and misdemeanor charges of attempting to elude a police officer and resisting arrest.

Armstrong, who gave his name in a court filing as Claude-Emerson..Armstrong, did not enter a plea on any of the charges.

Judge John Wesley said under the circumstance, the state would assume Armstrong was pleading not guilty and entered that plea on Armstrong's behalf.

During a court hearing, Armstrong referred to himself as a "sovereign citizen" and asked the Bennington County State's Attorney's office to produce any contract between himself and the state of Vermont.

In what he called a petition to the government for a redress of grievances, Armstrong said he did "not consent to any hearing or any assumed jurisdiction of this court" and explained why he did not believe he needed a driver's license.

"Licensing cannot be required of free people, because taking on the restrictions of a license requires the surrender of a right. The concept is that if I am coerced or forced to pay for a privilege granted by public servants, I am not of a free people as a sovereign citizen of the United States of America," Armstrong wrote.

According to an affidavit written by Manchester Police Officer Paul McGann, he and a fellow officer, Daniel Steere, were called to assist a member of the Bennington County Sheriff's Department with a traffic stop around 6:30 p.m. Sept. 4 on Bonnet Street, near the Dorr Oil Co.

Bennington County Sheriff's Deputy Joel Howard said in an affidavit he began to pursue Armstrong after using his equipment to determine Armstrong was driving 77 mph on Route 30, called Bonnet Street in Manchester, which has a speed limit of 50 mph. Howard said he caught up with Armstrong when he pulled into the parking lot of Dorr's, but said Armstrong refused to provide any information.

McGann said when he reached the area, he parked in front of Armstrong's car, with the police car's emergency lights on, and Howard's police car was behind Armstrong's car, also using its emergency lights.

In a separate affidavit, Steere, who said he had professional contact with Armstrong in the past, said he explained to Armstrong that while Armstrong had a right to travel, he doesn't have the privilege of driving a car in Vermont.

"I learned (Armstrong) feels he has the right to travel on the roads and the ticket issued by me had no warrant in law and was not judicial in nature. ... (Armstrong) then advised we had no right to harass him and that he wanted our names and officer numbers and that it was a $10,000 fine for each of us for harassing him," Steere wrote.

McGann said Armstrong asked him why he was stopped and if he was being detained. According to the affidavit, McGann told Armstrong he had been stopped for speeding and other offenses and that Armstrong was being detained.

Armstrong drove back toward the deputy's police car and forward around the Manchester police car, yelling to Steere to get out of the way, according to the affidavit.

McGann said police followed Armstrong in a "low speed" pursuit until he pulled into the parking lot of Nature's Market on Center Hill Road.

The sheriff's deputy pulled his police car in front of Armstrong's car to keep him from leaving the parking lot, police said.

McGann said he and Steere got out of their police car and approach Armstrong's car.

According to the affidavit, Armstrong tried to drive around the police cars again, this time hitting Steere with the bumper of his car.

"With this observation, this affiant removed my chemical spray from my duty belt and discharged same into the window of the Armstrong vehicle," McGann wrote.

According to the affidavit, Armstrong rolled his windows up, locked the doors and refused to get out of his car. McGann said the sheriff's deputy smashed the driver's side door window to unlock the door. At the same time, according to police, Armstrong was holding the passenger side door closed so Steere could not open it.

McGann said Armstrong continued to struggle as officers removed him from the car and attempted to handcuff him.

Steere said he had his leg, which hurt and became discolored, checked out by the Manchester Rescue Squad.

On Monday, Armstrong said several times that he didn't understand everything Wesley said to him and said he believed that was because of the effects of the tear gas.

Wesley said, however, that he believed based on the conversation and the petition that Armstrong had prepared that Armstrong was competent. He strongly urged Armstrong to hire a lawyer.

In his petition, Armstrong said, any action taken against him would be "no less than a sham litigation," called the seizure of his car illegal and said the state could not prosecute him unless it produced a contract between him and the state.

He was released following the hearing Monday on $20,000 bail he had previously posted.

[LPC]

Armstrong, who gave his name in a court filing as Claude-Emerson..Armstrong, did not enter a plea on any of the charges.

O look, his colon fell over!

There's not much that's more embarrassing to a sovereign citizen than a droopy (or floppy) colon. I mean, if you can't keep your colon upright, you might as well give up.

[Famspear]

Armstrong, who gave his name in a court filing as Claude-Emerson..Armstrong, did not enter a plea on any of the charges.

O look, his colon fell over!

There's not much that's more embarrassing to a sovereign citizen than a droopy (or floppy) colon. I mean, if you can't keep your colon upright, you might as well give up.

Good one!

EDIT: I had just taken a break from hurricane preparation (I'm down here in Texas). That one had me laughing out loud. Thanks, Dan!

[webhick]

Armstrong, who gave his name in a court filing as Claude-Emerson..Armstrong, did not enter a plea on any of the charges.

O look, his colon fell over!

There's not much that's more embarrassing to a sovereign citizen than a droopy (or floppy) colon. I mean, if you can't keep your colon upright, you might as well give up.

While a drunken, partial colon may get you out of jury duty, it's no excuse for molesting hamsters, eating lemmings, or confusing your vehicle with a bumper car.

[ErsatzAnatchist]

"With this observation, this affiant removed my chemical spray from my duty belt and discharged same into the window of the Armstrong vehicle," McGann wrote.

Best part of the story.

[Judge Roy Bean]

....
He was released following the hearing Monday on $20,000 bail he had previously posted.

Released?

And the nutball crowd goes wild! Victory!

[Nikki]

From http://www.jesus21.com/comments.php?id=71_0_1_0_C

Note the date.

Wreckless driver answers to higher power

Granville, New York
Following the example set by Alabama ex-Chief Justice and conservative Christian Justice Ray Moore, Claude Emerson Armstrong, claims the law does not apply to him. Armstrong served police with a self-made warrant to appear before Christ's Lawful Assembly for judgment regarding Armstrong's previous arrest. Signed with a bloody thumbprint the warrant claims the police have no jurisdiction over Armstrong.

The warrant said, "The aforesaid unproven strange and alien purported process is outlawed in His Kingdom because it disturbs His Peace that He bestowed upon His Lawful assembly at Arlington." The warrant listed no address for the appearance and local ministers had never heard of the church. Armstrong is being held in jail.

The group has a website with anti-government articles. These can be reviewed at: http://www.angelfire.com/pr/truth/assembly.html


Posted by: miss_poppy on Nov 20, 03 | 7:07 am

[The Observer]

On Monday, Armstrong said several times that he didn't understand everything Wesley said to him and said he believed that was because of the effects of the tear gas.

Is Armstrong trying to tell us that tear gas is a hallucinogen?

[RyanMcC]

Is Armstrong trying to tell us that tear gas is a hallucinogen?

If that were true hippies would start a riot every day.

[grixit]

If a citizen of Heaven strikes an official of a local government subordinate to the United States, inside the United States, isn't that an act of war?

[The Observer]

If a citizen of Heaven strikes an official of a local government subordinate to the United States, inside the United States, isn't that an act of war?

I would think the above events were more akin to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the entire American Revolutionary War was omitted, and we move directly to War of 1812 that ends with the British burning the White House.