Police chase halts morning traffic at Bay Bridge Toll Plaza

(KRON) — A self-described “sovereign citizen” refused to pull over for pursuing police Wednesday morning, halting Bay Bridge traffic, the Richmond Police Department said.

“They attempted to stop the car, but the driver refused to stop,” the Richmond Police Department said. “The driver continued to drive at slow speeds, stopping several times to declare he was a sovereign citizen who did not recognize our authority to stop him. The driver ultimately decided to drive to the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza area, where he stopped in the middle of the merge, optimizing the havoc he could wreak on the morning commute.”

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The chase ended in a brief standoff in the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza. Officers confirmed the man was the only occupant in the car and used a “chemical agent” to remove him from the car.

“After negotiations with the suspect to exit his vehicle failed, officers were able to introduce a chemical agent into the interior of his car,” Richmond police said. “The driver quickly decided he wanted to get out of his vehicle and was taken into custody without incident.”

Authorities towed the man’s car and reopened I-80. The man was booked into jail for attempting to evade officers, suspected DUI, and a warrant for a previous police chase.