‘Sovereign citizen’ arrested; accused of DWI, hitting house with pickup truck

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Law enforcement arrested a “sovereign citizen” this week in Miller County who was accused of driving drunk and trying to escape confinement.

Korey Nelson, 26, of Dixon, Missouri, was charged earlier this week with aggravated fleeing, first-degree property damage, leaving the scene of an accident and four misdemeanors, including reckless driving, driving while intoxicated, driving on the wrong side of the road and speeding by more than 26 miles per hour. He was also charged on Friday with trying to escape confinement. He is being held on a $100,000 bond.

One of the probable cause statements say that law enforcement learned of someone recklessly driving a Chevrolet Colorado in Versailles at 11:37 p.m. Tuesday. Police tried talked to Nelson while he was parked at a gas station, but Nelson drove away and a chase topping more than 100 miles per hour occurred, the statement says.

Nelson allegedly hit a house with his vehicle before continuing to flee in the truck, the statement says. He allegedly drove the wrong way on Highway 54, turned off his headlights and almost hit several cars, according to a statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

A trooper used his vehicle to hit Nelson’s truck near Atchinson Road, which disabled the vehicle, but Nelson kept pressing the gas pedal as officers walked up to the vehicle, the statement says.

The trooper noted that Nelson became belligerent and declared himself as a “sovereign citizen.”  The “sovereign citizen movement” is a conspiracy-based movement typically made up of people who misinterpret the law by claiming government statutes do not pertain to them unless they consent.

Troopers noted that Nelson appeared to be drunk and allegedly tried to kick out the window of the patrol car after he was arrested. He then resisted jail staff, the statement says.