Sovereign Citizen? Kennewick man’s plates say he doesn’t need a license. Police disagree
A man, whose license plate declared he didn’t need a license, was arrested by Kennewick police for not having one.
A police officer near Kennewick Avenue and Quincy Street spotted a speeding car about 11:45 p.m. Sunday, Kennewick police posted on Facebook. When the officer turned on the emergency lights, they realized the man didn’t have a valid license plate.
Instead, the plate said “PRIVATE” in the place where the plate number would go. Above it, it read that “No driver license or insurance required.”
The plate is a symbol of the “sovereign citizens” movement. The members believe that they are not part of any state or country so laws don’t apply to to them.
It’s unclear if the driver, a 48-year-old man, agreed with the philosophy.
The plates are not a legal form of vehicle registration, Kennewick police said.
When the officer’s lights came on, the driver slowed to about 25 mph. He began to follow all of the rules of the road, except for stopping for the officer.
He finally stopped in a mobile home park in the area of Columbia Drive and Washington Street. He told the officer that he didn’t believe he did anything wrong, so he didn’t need to stop.
He was arrested and booked into the Benton County jail for driving with a suspended license, as well as having a warrant from another county.
Pasco hit-and-run
Pasco police are searching for two drivers who left behind demolished cars Saturday morning.
Officers were called to the three-vehicle collision at the corner of Ninth Avenue and Pearl Street, according to a police Facebook post.
They found a van with its front end bent in on the road, a Honda Accord with its side bashed in, and the bumper of another Honda lying in the road.
By the time officers arrived at the scene, the drivers of both of the Hondas had fled.
No one was seriously hurt in the crash, police said.
Anyone with information about who was driving can contact police through the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333.
This story was originally published November 21, 2022 at 11:25 AM.