I sent this to some friends today.
Warning: this is brutal. But it explains some things that people should know. Read and heed.
The linked article from the Deseret News is about one aspect of a recent tragic death. One Chase Allen died when he was shot by police officers during a traffic stop in Utah. The article is about a new strange breed who call themselves "sovereign citizens". If you want to read about these dudes, read the article.
There is much more to be learned from the incident, however. It applies to anyone who operates or rides in a motor vehicle. I'll try to cover the high points.
First, let's be very clear on one thing: regardless of what we may think we have learned from screen fiction, police officers do not carry firearms to threaten or shoot suspects for the purpose of enforcing the law--PERIOD. They carry them for one purpose only: to defend themselves or other citizens from deadly force attacks, when and only when it is immediately necessary to do so. THAT'S IT.
That happens to be the same lawful purpose for which law-abiding citizens who are not sworn officers carry firearms. The significant difference is that the civilian may not engage in self defense if he has initiated an encounter, whereas an officer who is necessarily arresting a suspect or stopping a motorist obviously does initiate the encounter.
If any of that is new to you, read it again, reflect on it, and forget screen fiction
Now we can discuss what led to the end of Mr. Chase Allen.
The police pulled Mr. Allen over due to a problem with his the license plate of his 3 Series BMW. That happens. It has happened to me.
The officer asked Mr. Allen for his identification. He refused. He did not have the right to do so. He then provided his passport, keeping the darkly tinted window of his car almost closed.
He spouted some "sovereign citizen" gibberish--see the article--and then said he would not answer questions or discuss anything with the officer. That was his right--he was not obligated to say anything at all.
Now, when most of us are stopped for a vehicle issue, (1) we identify ourselves, and (2) we are given a warning, or at worst, issued a ticket. We do have to sign the ticket.
Mr. Allen would not comply. He claimed he was not subject to the laws of Utah.
The officer, who was extremely respectful and polite, prudently called for back-up, and several more officers arrived. They all had body cameras. I have seen the video--all of it. Here's what happened.
Mr. Allen started taking video with a cell-phone that he was holding in his right hand. Okay.
But he then transferred the cell-phone to his left hand. That was a very bad idea.
Mr. Allen then used his left hand to clear his cover garment to expose the holstered firearm on his right side. That is what people do when drawing a concealed firearm--and he lowered his right hand to the gun.
Good Lord! One does not draw a gun on an arresting officer.
The officer at the driver's window shouted "gun! gun! gun!" and quickly jumped away. All of the officers then commenced firing, reasonably, properly, lawfully, and according to their training and procedures.
Mr. Allen sustained fatal wounds. He had withdrawn the gun, which ended up on the floor of the car, from his now-empty holster.
I cannot imagine what he might have been thinking.
He had made it clear that he would refuse to consider sign a traffic ticket, or to comply in any other way, but in effect he signed his own death warrant.
What can we learn from this? What should we do when we are stopped by a police officer?
I hope you find this helpful. Feel free to share.
www.deseret.com/utah/2023/3/10/23632303/what-is-a-sovereign-citizen-farmington-police-shooting
Warning: this is brutal. But it explains some things that people should know. Read and heed.
The linked article from the Deseret News is about one aspect of a recent tragic death. One Chase Allen died when he was shot by police officers during a traffic stop in Utah. The article is about a new strange breed who call themselves "sovereign citizens". If you want to read about these dudes, read the article.
There is much more to be learned from the incident, however. It applies to anyone who operates or rides in a motor vehicle. I'll try to cover the high points.
First, let's be very clear on one thing: regardless of what we may think we have learned from screen fiction, police officers do not carry firearms to threaten or shoot suspects for the purpose of enforcing the law--PERIOD. They carry them for one purpose only: to defend themselves or other citizens from deadly force attacks, when and only when it is immediately necessary to do so. THAT'S IT.
That happens to be the same lawful purpose for which law-abiding citizens who are not sworn officers carry firearms. The significant difference is that the civilian may not engage in self defense if he has initiated an encounter, whereas an officer who is necessarily arresting a suspect or stopping a motorist obviously does initiate the encounter.
If any of that is new to you, read it again, reflect on it, and forget screen fiction
Now we can discuss what led to the end of Mr. Chase Allen.
The police pulled Mr. Allen over due to a problem with his the license plate of his 3 Series BMW. That happens. It has happened to me.
The officer asked Mr. Allen for his identification. He refused. He did not have the right to do so. He then provided his passport, keeping the darkly tinted window of his car almost closed.
He spouted some "sovereign citizen" gibberish--see the article--and then said he would not answer questions or discuss anything with the officer. That was his right--he was not obligated to say anything at all.
Now, when most of us are stopped for a vehicle issue, (1) we identify ourselves, and (2) we are given a warning, or at worst, issued a ticket. We do have to sign the ticket.
Mr. Allen would not comply. He claimed he was not subject to the laws of Utah.
The officer, who was extremely respectful and polite, prudently called for back-up, and several more officers arrived. They all had body cameras. I have seen the video--all of it. Here's what happened.
Mr. Allen started taking video with a cell-phone that he was holding in his right hand. Okay.
But he then transferred the cell-phone to his left hand. That was a very bad idea.
Mr. Allen then used his left hand to clear his cover garment to expose the holstered firearm on his right side. That is what people do when drawing a concealed firearm--and he lowered his right hand to the gun.
Good Lord! One does not draw a gun on an arresting officer.
The officer at the driver's window shouted "gun! gun! gun!" and quickly jumped away. All of the officers then commenced firing, reasonably, properly, lawfully, and according to their training and procedures.
Mr. Allen sustained fatal wounds. He had withdrawn the gun, which ended up on the floor of the car, from his now-empty holster.
I cannot imagine what he might have been thinking.
He had made it clear that he would refuse to consider sign a traffic ticket, or to comply in any other way, but in effect he signed his own death warrant.
What can we learn from this? What should we do when we are stopped by a police officer?
- Keep our hands where he can see them
- Have our license and registration papers in hand before he gets to the car, so we will not alarm him by reaching to where a hidden weapon might be; that applies to everyone!
- Be polite and respectful
- Comply with his instructions; if we believe them to be unlawful, that is not the time to address that
- If we are told to get out of the vehicle, we must do so
- We are not required to answer questions, and some prominent criminal defense attorneys advise against doing so; personally, I do not subscribe to that philosophy unless there has been a serious accident
- In some states, citizens are required to inform officers if they have a firearm in the car; if we are lawfully in possession of a firearm, we must comply with the laws of the state in which we are driving, not those of the state of our residence; it it is not required, the decision is up to us
- BUT--if we are asked to get out of the car and we are carrying a concealed firearm, we want to eliminate any risk that any movement of our shirt-tail or jacket that briefly exposes the gun will alarm the officer, whose adrenalin level will naturallybe elevated under the circumstances; it's best to inform the officer that we are carrying concealed (do not say "gun") and ask how he would like us to comply with his instructions; should he ask us to take out the gun, we don't do it--we ask him to do it.
I hope you find this helpful. Feel free to share.
www.deseret.com/utah/2023/3/10/23632303/what-is-a-sovereign-citizen-farmington-police-shooting
