Do you know how to pull over a police officer? Did you know this was even possible?
When Gavin Seim of Washington state saw a police officer driving an unmarked car, he took the opportunity to exercise his right as a sovereign citizen – and pulled the cop over. His footage of the encounter has since gone viral.
What had the police officer done wrong?
Seim informed the officer he was in violation of a Washington law prohibiting law enforcement from using unmarked vehicles unless designated for “special undercover or confidential investigative purposes.” In the process, he demonstrated one way to keep our government accountable. What a great example of self-governance.
Seim’s actions brilliantly address several issues at the same time. On the surface, he’s concerned for the safety of people in his community and the integrity of the police. Using unmarked vehicles for patrolling and traffic stops makes it much easier for some to impersonate the police for less-than-protective reasons. Law enforcement officers also shouldn’t “slink around and entrap, so they can write folks up (read tax) for petty faults,” says Seim. He gave the example of a young woman being stopped for speeding late at night. If the police car isn’t marked, should she pull over? It becomes a question of safety for the public at large.
But the biggest issue here is making sure our government knows from where its authority comes, and to whom it is accountable. “It’s about a government that respects and obeys the people, their rights and the law,” Seim wrote after the encounter. We don’t have to feel powerless to respond to our government – we just need to know our rights and exercise them.
When talking the officer, Seim was polite yet insistent. Obviously knowledgeable about the law in question, he required the officer to show ID then explained the law he was violating. Instead of reporting the officer to the sheriff’s office (which was a valid option), he asked him to follow up with his supervisor to have the issue addressed.
To the officer’s credit, he cooperated and listened to what Seim had to say without being rude.
As the founder of Citizens for Self-Governance, I love it when Americans govern themselves. We all used to. In fact, when this nation was founded, the government acted only to protect life, liberty and property. Now, it has encroached into every area of life, so we mindlessly obey the myriad of rules, regulations, and codes that they hand out.
However, the citizens should be aware of the laws and be able to make crucial decisions themselves.
Who decides?
According to the founders and Constitution, we do. That’s why it’s so inspiring to see someone finally acting like it.
Watch footage of their interaction below. Seim follows up with some great reasoning for citizens holding their government accountable. Make sure you watch to the end. Seriously, this guy is an inspirational example of self-governance at work.
For legal notes on the law in question and updates on Seim’s follow-up conversations with the Sheriff’s department, visit his website.