‘Sovereign citizen contacts’ with law enforcement on rise, sheriff says
Self-described “sovereign citizens” who claim they don’t need a driver’s license are not a new thing for Spokane County deputies, but Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said the number of incidents appears to be on the rise.
“We’ve seen this for years,” Knezovich said. “It seems like this thing in Oregon has really brought these types out of the woodwork.”
Deputies have dealt with two people in the past week who claimed to be a “traveler” or “free traveler,” and said that, according to the U.S. Constitution, they didn’t have to have a license.
Numerous websites outline the argument that “free” people have the right to travel on roads without driver’s licenses. Most of those sites also argue that a license is only required if someone is using the highway for commerce.
“The Constitution doesn’t really say any of that,” Knezovich said. “It’s just their warped version of the Constitution.”
He said state law is clear: The Washington Administrative Code states that no person may “drive any motor vehicle upon a highway in this state unless the person has in his or her possession a valid driver’s license.”
Spokane Police Department spokeswoman Officer Teresa Fuller said officers have had similar encounters over the years but she’s not aware of any recent incidents.
Deputy Jeff Thurman pulled over a driver in Spokane Valley on Monday who made an abrupt left turn without signaling and nearly caused an accident, according to a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office news release. The driver said he was “traveling” and wouldn’t give his name.
When he continued to be uncooperative, deputies handcuffed him, which prompted the driver to claim he was being kidnapped, reports said.
The driver was identified as 41-year-old Kenneth C. Goodman, who has a suspended driver’s license. Another driver who made a similar argument to a deputy in Medical Lake on Saturday also had a suspended license.
Knezovich said people who use the “free traveler” argument often have suspended licenses. “It’s usually because they’ve had a run-in with the law,” he said.
Deputies jailed Goodman on suspicion of driving with a suspended license and failure to give information/cooperate with an officer. Goodman also received a ticket for making an improper turn and not having proof of insurance.
Knezovich said he’s worried about the tone of the recent encounters. “It’s becoming more and more in your face,” he said.
He’s also concerned about the potential for violence. In 2012, a deputy pulled over a truck in Otis Orchards for not having valid license plates. The two men inside declared they were “sovereign citizens” and refused to comply with commands. While the men did not use violence, the SWAT team had to physically remove them from the truck by cutting their seat belts.