Get out OF THE CAR. >> GET OUT OF THE CAR. >> PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. Stop resisting. Stop resisting. >> Gun. Gun. Gun. >> That was stupid. >> I have a wallet. >> That was stupid. Right there. >> On June 18th, 2024, a Charlotte County Sheriff's Deputy in Florida initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle bearing a New York license plate expired by more than 1 year. >> How's it going? >> Pretty good. So, the reason I stopped you >> Yeah. >> All right. The tag on this car expired more than a year ago. >> The tag on the car, what tag though? >> The license plate from New York. Expired in 2023. You got your driver's license, registration, proof of insurance? >> For one, my license expired uh for one or two, uh there's no injured party, so I haven't committed any crime. For three, I don't carry my driver's license on me. I carry a passport. >> I'm on war 7094. All right, can I get your passport then? >> Uh you can look at it, but you can't hold on to it. >> Roll the window down. >> No. >> All right, man. So, this can go one or two ways. It can go really bad for you, or we can just have a good normal conversation. >> We are having a normal conversation. And uh I've committed no crime. There's no injured party. I have >> Really? I sent you a summon to court. Flexing Michael. >> I have a valid Florida license. >> Okay. >> no need >> But the license plate on the vehicle expired over a year ago, is what I'm saying. >> What's the problem with that? >> Well, it's expired out of New York by more than a year. That's the problem. >> problem with that? There's no There's no crime being committed. There's no injured party. >> All right, man. So, you don't carry your driver's license with you? >> No. >> Why not? >> I have no need to. >> Why wouldn't you need to carry your driver's license with you? It's required by law. >> I don't commit crimes. I don't need to identify myself. I didn't even just need to show you this. I did that as a professional courtesy for you. What do you think you're doing? >> All right, buddy. >> You're the one that's going to make your night bad. I >> You're 100% about to go to jail. I'm trying to be as cool with you as I can. >> I have a valid Florida license. >> Yes, but you're not cooperating in this traffic stop investigation as required. >> Sir, I am not I have zero chance of going to jail today. >> Okay. >> I have committed no crime. People go to jail when they commit crimes. I have committed no crime. >> Stay right here. You're not free to leave. We're going to have to extract him. >> What's going on? >> Your call has been updated. Uh well, he's got no license. And he says that there's no injured party. The car is expired by more than a year, his tag. >> So, he's holding all that stuff? >> Yeah, he's going to go to jail for sure. We'll just wait. We got We got time. >> You know he's already being uncooperative? >> Yeah, yeah. He's uncooperative from the rip. >> What followed was a 12-minute standoff built on legal arguments courts have uniformly rejected ending with a smashed window a firearm scare and 45 days in jail. The stop itself was constitutionally sound. A visible expired tag provides reasonable articulable suspicion under Delaware versus Prowse 440 US 648 decided by the Supreme Court in 1979. Under Florida statute section 320.07 subsection 3B operating a vehicle with registration expired by more than 6 months is a second degree misdemeanor not a civil infraction. That distinction matters significantly here. The subject declined to produce a driver's license. Florida statute section 322.03 subsection 1 requires any person operating a motor vehicle to carry and present a valid license on demand. No exception exists for personal preference or ideological objection. When the issued a step out order the subject refused. In Pennsylvania versus Mims 434 US 106 1977 the Supreme Court held that once a traffic stop is lawfully initiated an officer may order the driver out of the vehicle. No additional justification required. That authority is not negotiable. >> All right. >> Miguel, ran your driver's license it ain't no good, man. It's not good. It's got suspended. >> Sir, my license is not >> Yeah, 100% it's suspended. I just ran it. >> Show me because my license >> All right. Step on out, I'll be happy to show you. I can't I can't show you right now. >> valid Florida license >> You don't. >> Yes, I do. >> You do not. >> I 100% >> You don't. You got a license out of uh >> have the burden of proof to show me that I can committed >> and I'll be happy to show you. All you got to do is step out for me. >> I can you can you can print out that paperwork and send it through this little slot. >> I Nope. >> You can, though. >> It's not what's going to happen. >> Well, I'm not going to get out of the car. >> Do you know who this is? >> No, I don't. >> Okay. It's kind of weird. >> Probably a concerned citizen asking you for for no crime being committed. >> Yeah. Stay with him. >> Show me the paperwork. >> Oh, okay. >> I have these valid Florida licenses. Show me unless you have something to show me otherwise, I committed no crime. >> You're committing multiple crimes right now. >> I am not committing multiple crimes. I have at most a traffic violation. That's it. >> You're committing several traffic violations and you're driving without a valid driver's license. So. >> I am driving with a valid driver's license. >> You are not. >> Yes, I am. >> You have a license out of New York? >> I have a license in Florida. >> Okay. So, what I'll ask is the car's got a tag that's out of New York. It's got a license plate out of New York. So, that's why I was asking. >> Like yeah, just cuz I haven't had a permanent res- resident in Florida yet. >> You haven't had a chance to register in Florida yet? Is that what you said? >> I haven't had a permanent resident in Florida yet. >> Okay. >> I have a valid Florida license, though. >> You do not. >> So, either you're lying >> I'm not lying to you, sir. I wouldn't need to lie to you. >> I mean, you're more than welcome to show me because I have a valid Florida license. >> All right, sir. So, I'm asking you again step out of the vehicle. >> And I'm telling you no. >> Okay. >> That I have committed no crime. >> And I'm ordering you to step out of the vehicle. >> I am following your orders. >> Okay. All right, Marshall. >> You're trying to get me on a traffic violation. >> Well, >> me I got a 100% chance of going to jail for a traffic violation. >> Well, you're going to go end up going to jail for resisting and obstructing an investigation and for failing to comply with a lawful order, which was the order to step out of this vehicle. >> Sir, I committed no crime. >> So. >> I have no injured party. See, in order for a crime to be committed, there needs to be an injured party. >> Well, in this case, that would be the state of Florida would be the injured party. >> not injured by me driving. I was driving the speed limit, as you were aware, because you were driving slower than me. >> Mhm. >> I can I injured no person. The state of Florida is not injured by my driving. So, you're full of it. >> 38403, how far out am I? >> And why are you not going to show me that my license is valid when I know for a >> As soon as you step out of the car, I'll be happy to show you. >> You're telling me you're going to arrest me for driving my car in the speed limit, in the lane, sober, with no Why would I step out of the car when I committed no crime? >> Well, like I said, you've committed multiple crimes since we've been sitting here, but >> I have committed zero crimes since >> You're refusing a lawful order to exit your vehicle. That's a crime. Driving without a driver's license. >> I have a driver's >> That's a crime. You're driving with tags that are expired by over a year and a vehicle that you admit has not been registered in this state. That's a crime. >> That's not a crime. >> It is a crime. So. Not as long as these tags have been expired and that you live here. That's a unregistered motor vehicle in this state, which is a crime. >> Is that a misdemeanor or a felony? >> Doesn't matter. >> If it's a traffic violation, it's not a criminal offense. >> Yes, there are criminal traffic violations. >> Is it a misdemeanor or a felony? >> misdemeanor. >> It's a misdemeanor. >> Mhm. It doesn't matter if it's a misdemeanor or a felony. So. >> If it's only a traffic violation, it's not a crime. >> Mhm. >> And if there's no injured party, it's not a crime. >> Okay. Well, like I explained, the state would be the injured party on these offenses. >> I injure the state of Florida. >> Okay. >> All right. I've been nothing but cordial with you. If you don't want to cooperate, then what happens next is what happens next, all right? >> You're right. You have to show me that your license is valid. >> And I asked you to get out of the vehicle. >> I have no reason to get out of the vehicle. >> So, huh? >> You have a reason to show me that my license is valid. >> And I'll be happy to do that as soon as you exit the vehicle. >> I'll be happy to do that when you pass it to my flashlight. >> Nope. It's not going to happen. >> If I committed a crime, then I step out of the vehicle. Since I committed no crime, >> Stop reaching. Hey, stop reaching. Stop reaching. >> The subject's core argument was that no crime can exist without an injured party. This claim has been raised in American courts thousands of times. It has never prevailed. Federal courts have specifically described sovereign citizen legal theories as patently frivolous. Under Florida statute section 775.08, both felonies and misdemeanors are criminal offenses. The subject's belief that a misdemeanor carries no criminal character is simply wrong, and it cost him the ability to make an informed decision during this stop. Dispatch confirmed the subject's Florida license was suspended. Florida statute section 322.34 subsection 2 makes that a second-degree misdemeanor with independent arrest authority. The officers had full legal grounds to place him in custody at that moment. >> It's a violation of the law. That's not the law. Show me the law. >> Okay. >> Stop reaching. Stop reaching. >> You want me to swap out the tapes? I know what you're talking about. We'll come up with a plan before him. >> Sergeant Barger with Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. I understand that you have been given a lawful order to exit your vehicle and you are not complying with that. You are under arrest. All right. >> All right. >> Let's move him out. Unlock your door and step out for me, please. Unlock your door and step out for me, please. Unlock your door and step out for me. You are under arrest. You are under arrest. You are under arrest. >> It's the bathroom. >> Step out of your vehicle. You will You will be removed. Okay, that is a verbal no and a head shake no. >> Huh? I'm good with both. >> Just take >> Yeah. >> Heads up, your window's going to be broken. >> Ready? >> Mr. Merad, your window's going to be broken. Get out OF THE CAR. GET OUT ON THE GROUND. PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. Stop resisting. Stop resisting. >> I got this one. >> Gun, gun, gun. That was stupid. >> I have a >> That was stupid. Do you understand that was stupid? >> I was getting my glasses out of my >> You weren't getting your glasses, you were getting your gun. >> Sir, look at my shirt. >> You were getting your gun. >> not getting my >> Don't move. >> I'm not. >> Relay central. Run a chrono history on this subject. I got signals here. All right, let me know when you're ready to start something off this license. All right, ready? Roll. >> Let go of my leg. >> What are you talking about? >> You, if you don't let go of my leg, you will be foot back. >> Excuse me, my hands are not touching you at all. >> my deputy again, you're going to be arrested for battery on law enforcement. >> in the nuts right now. Are you serious? >> All right, we're going to hobble him right away. Is he kicking? >> Not yet, but >> Not yet, but they're waiting for any excuse. >> No, because you just threatened me. >> No no problem, it's okay. >> No, I told him that >> Okay, it's on body cam. Stop arguing. >> Sir, is is me grabbing your leg on my body cam too? >> roll him over and search his other side. >> Is me is me grabbing your leg on your body cam? >> Yep. >> Yep. >> This How is that possible if I didn't grab your leg? >> See, if only he'd put me in the seat I was only two blocks >> You get it? >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. No. >> Here, just give it here for now. We'll worry about all that later. >> My Bible goes to jail with me. >> It'll stay in your car. >> No, not yet. Not yet. >> No, it'll come to jail with me. It was on my person. You're going to log it into jail and it's going to stay in my hand. >> That's how that is. That he's just That >> Yeah, that's what he's talking about. >> That's a Bible. That stays with me. >> No, I'm not right. On what? >> No, no, not yet. >> Okay. >> No, no. >> Just hold off on it. >> Just wait on it. >> All right. >> He hates himself, no problem. >> What's the problem? >> All right. Uh >> You'll find out if he kicks. >> Let's put him in the rear of the car and then we're going to do the transport. >> Copy. >> All right. >> Here. >> No, no, no. Turn around to this side. >> Sit down on your bike. >> I can move my hands. >> The seat only No, I only get that thing Nothing solid. >> So, it's not a free fire back. So, I was like keep moving back. >> When Sergeant Burke formally declared the arrest, Continued refusal to exit the vehicle constituted resisting an officer without violence under Florida statute section 843.02, a first-degree misdemeanor. The forced extraction that followed was legally authorized. During the extraction, an officer called out gun. Under Graham versus Connor, 490 US 386, 1989, force is judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer at the moment of the decision, not in hindsight. A weapon alert during active restraint justifies immediate escalation. No firearm was discharged, and that restraint deserves acknowledgement. Now for the grades, the lead deputy receives a B-. The stop was justified, and his patience across 8+ minutes of non-compliance was real. The problem was tactical. Supervisor involvement should have been called within 2 to 3 minutes of the initial refusal, not at minute 8. Sergeant Burke receives an A-. He arrived, identified himself, declared the arrest clearly, and the standoff ended in under 30 seconds. That is the standard for effective supervisor intervention. The subject receives a D. Confident, articulate, and wrong on nearly every legal point. He had three clear opportunities to avoid arrest, and he declined all of them. The 45-day sentence was not bad luck. It was the predictable result of those decisions. This footage is instructive precisely because the mistakes are so clear in retrospect. Before we close, here are five lessons worth carrying from this encounter. Lesson one, confidence is not legal authority. The subject argued every point without hesitation. He was wrong on nearly every point. Sovereign citizen theory is not a recognized defense in any US jurisdiction. And no amount of conviction changes that. Lesson two. Compliance and agreement are not the same thing. You can believe a stop is unlawful and still comply. You document it, you contest it in court, and you walk away free that night. Refusing a lawful step out order does not assert a right, it generates a criminal charge. Lesson three. A misdemeanor is a crime. Florida statute section 775.08 makes that explicit. The subject treated misdemeanor offenses as legally irrelevant. They carried jail time. They were not irrelevant. Lesson four. Supervisors are a de-escalation resource. Eight minutes of unresolved standoff ended in 30 seconds once Sergeant Burke stepped in. Calling for supervision earlier is not an escalation. It is often the fastest path to a peaceful resolution. Lesson five. During a physical extraction, keep your hands visible. Any movement toward the body, regardless of intent, can be perceived as a weapon reach. That perception can have irreversible consequences. Announce your movements. Stay still unless told to move. 45 days in jail for what began as an expired tag. Every charge beyond that first observation was avoidable. The law does not require you to agree with an officer. It does require you to comply with lawful orders. If you found this breakdown useful, subscribe to our channel for more legal analysis of body cam footage. Drop a case or a legal question in the comments, and we will see you in the next one.