TULSA, Okla. (KSNW) — What should have been a routine traffic stop early Thursday morning was anything but that for Police in Tulsa.
It began around 4:30 a.m. when officers spotted a white Acura driving without headlights on. The officers were able to stop the driver, but he refused to give them a license or proof of insurance.
The department says that though the man did not directly identify as a “Sovereign Citizen,” he reportedly made statements that are common to the group. He told officers he was traveling and therefore didn’t need a license, that there was no law saying he had to have headlights, and even though he was told he was being detained, he insisted he was not and could drive off at any time.
During the entire 20-minute exchange with the officers, the suspect clutched a small python. When the officers finally informed the man he was now under arrest, he drove off, leading to a brief chase that ended at his home, where he tried to run away on foot, still clutching the snake.
The man was arrested and has been booked into jail. Police say officers recovered 92 grams of Fentanyl, Marijuana products, and nearly $5,000 in cash from inside the man’s car.
He has been booked into jail on charges that include:
- Eluding After Former Conviction of a Felony
- Trafficking Fentanyl
- Drug Possession After Former Conviction of a Felony
- Obstruction
- Resisting Arrest
- Operating a Vehicle with No Headlights
- No Driver’s License
- No Insurance
Tulsa Police say the snake was unharmed in the incident, and the reptile was released to the custody of the suspect’s friend.
