Traffic stop in Georgia turns into felony arrest after ‘sovereign citizen' pulls gun on officers

 

Last Wednesday, Towns County Deputies pulled over 30-year-old Dustin Gunnells of Hiawassee. Police say what began as a misdemeanor traffic offense soon escalated into a felony stop with nearly deadly consequences.”Immediately the driver exhibited aggression towards the officers and began making statements consistent with ‘sovereign citizen’ type beliefs. Rather than comply with deputies, the driver reached for a gun,” according to access WDUN.At that point, police say the deputies forced their way into the vehicle by breaking the driver’s side window.  As they attempted to get Gunnells out of the car, they said, he tried reaching for a gun that was inside a holster on his back.Six firearms – all of them loaded — were confiscated from the vehicle. Deputies were able to get the suspect under control and disarm him, according to the report. One officer was slightly injured by broken glass.

Gunnells was arrested and charged with six counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and six counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.According to rawstory.com, Gunnells’ grandmother, “who has decorated the outside of her home with Confederate flags and a ‘Justice 4 Dusty’ banner, claims the plainclothes deputies targeted Gunnells because he had the symbol painted on his trunk and held an open carry permit.”She writes on her Facebook page, “My grandson is an avid gun enthusiast and a student of his constitutional rights and responsibilities.”