Rochester police have given their side of an incident yesterday in which a 10-year-old girl complained that she was handcuffed by RPD officers during a traffic stop.
Police say they pulled a car over for having an expired inspection sticker and no front license plate. They say the driver refused to provide a driver’s license and he and the occupants of the car claimed to be “sovereign citizens.” According to Wikipedia, they “see themselves as answerable only to their particular interpretations of the common law and as not subject to any government statutes or proceedings.”
The officers asked for a sergeant to respond and made repeated requests for the driver to step out of the car. The 21-year-old man claimed he had “diplomatic immunity.” He was eventually arrested for obstructing governmental administration and violation of the state vehicle and traffic laws. A 42-year-old woman was also charged with obstruction, and a 21-year-old woman resisted arrest and was charged with both resisting and obstruction.
Police say while this was going on, the 10-year-old girl was asked to step to the side of the road and away from traffic. Officers say the girl pulled away from them and they made the decision to handcuff her for her safety and the safety of passing drivers.
Arrested were:
- (A-1) Sharelle D. Campbell, male, 1/29/78 Age 42 – front passenger – OGA
- (A-2) Aquil Majors, 6/19/98 Age 21 – Driver – OGA, cracked windshield, no Inspection
Sticker, Unsafe tires (Bald) - (A-3) Sophia Dover, 9/5/98, Age 21 – Rear passenger – OGA, Resisting Arrest