A couple of weeks ago, there was an odd situation for several in the county. It started with jury selection of 13 jurors who prepared to sit through a week-long trial.

As the judge, whom I'd never seen in action, took his seat, I noticed his bowtie and smiled. The assistant county attorney took his seat to present the state's case at one table and at the other sat a man who caused a lot of mayhem a couple of years ago. He's what is known as a sovereign citizen. 

Sovereign citizens believe that the government doesn't have any control over you. They can't tell you what to do. They don't think it's anyone's business if you mow your lawn or drive at a crazy speed down the interstate. 

However, driving at a high speed down the interstate while drinking isn't the best idea any day of the week, and that's why we have laws. 

So here we were in the courtroom. In true sovereign citizen style, the defendant decided that he was going to take on the role of the attorney. 

He introduced himself boldly, laying out his military service and the fact that he was intelligent and he wanted everyone to know it. Throughout the hearing, certain points stood out. After it was stated how many pepper spray canisters, pepper spray type pellets and all kinds of things were done to this man's car to remove him safely, there was a disconnect. Rather than admit that perhaps he pushed it too far, and play on the sympathies of the jury, he puffed his chest out a bit and asked, "Is that normal for anyone to stay in a car THAT LONG?!" 

I knew then that we were going to have problems. I just didn't know that my gut instinct was right. 

Unfortunately for this man, he was a man of his word. During the stop, the man told the officers that he was not going to go to jail, they'd have to kill him. When that didn't work, and he saw that they refused to do that, he threatened to kill himself. 

Now I wanted to think that had he been sober, he would consider a little jail time, a fine and it could all be in the rearview mirror. 

The man tried his case in court. He argued every possible detail of the stop. He debated the color of his car, and if the sun was up. He even questioned the tactics used to remove him from his car. He knew he was losing. He knew every time bodycam footage was played that there was no way to spin it and make himself look good. 

I sat through court on Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday. I took off Wednesday so I could do some work here, and went in at noon on Thursday figuring that there wouldn't be any new developments and maybe I'd get in on the closing arguments. 

Stalking the defendant online just to see who he was, I discovered that he owned his own construction business. In the courtroom, he let us know that he was a military veteran and tested in the top of his class. I suspect his service may have played into this story. 

He was a proud man, and everyone could see that. There was no backing down. He had made his choice. He'd made a promise and sadly, he kept it. 

When I walked into the courtroom on Thursday, I was informed that the defendant was no longer with us. It went without saying the hard part out loud.  

It's hard not to feel sorrow at the loss. I didn't even know the guy, but I found myself somewhat hoping he could give us some good arguments just to mess with the jury a little bit and give them something to ponder, keeping them on their toes. I'd hoped that it wouldn't be such a slam dunk, but even I can't think of how he could have spun the events of that night. 

After his arrest, officers found that he had 10 bullets with him. One was in the chamber. His gun was loaded and ready to go. But for the grace of God, all 13 officers and the man left the scene alive. All of our officers went home that night. As proud as he was, the defendant still went to jail, but he was alive. 

He also had an open case of beer in the backseat.

He made it through two days of court, but his pride got to him. Being wrong was something he couldn't stomach. Being locked up for what I bet would've been a few months of his life was something he couldn't, for whatever reason, do. Instead, he took the selfish way out. Leaving behind a family that loved him, I'm sure. I bet he helped them build and repair their homes. And I bet he was good at it. But something inside him, maybe it was the beer again, or maybe it was too much pride, it just wouldn't let him bow his head in humility. 

Sadly, I'm afraid that had he walked away from this hearing, he might have hurt an innocent officer in another event. Men who are trying to simply do their job. He might've taken out a new father, or a grandfather weeks from retirement. 

Unfortunately for this sovereign citizen, he paid the ultimate price for his silly actions. The officers fought for seven hours, alongside the road, to keep him alive, but the demons were still at home waiting for him, and they won. 

I'm sad for his family; they sure didn't deserve it. No one does. There is nothing that makes it worth it. Nothing.This aspect of the situation really does make me angry for his family, especially. That wasn't fair. Then again, I don't know if something during his service messed with him pushing him to this point.

At the same time, I'm relieved to know that our dear law enforcement officers used all the training they had to do exactly what they were supposed to do. They disarmed a threat without hurting him. They all returned home in the wee hours of the morning with just a harrowing story to tell at the next family get-together. They also had another layer of PTSD to work through from the night. They worked not knowing if one of those bullets in the waving gun would have their name on it. 

In court, these men represented their respective departments and their jobs with class and ultimate respect for this man. There was never a hint of disdain for what happened that night.

My condolences and prayers went out to the family that week. But honestly, a sigh of relief also went out knowing that there won't be any possible future bloodshed from this poor man. 

It wasn't worth it. It could've just been a speeding ticket. A few other traffic violations. A few hundred dollars. However, it cost a life, and that was too much to pay for going 86 in a 65.