The internet showed you a traffic crash, but the deeper story was already unfolding. ICE was already involved. Federal court would soon become involved. And for somebody claiming that they're not a citizen, reality had a few surprises waiting. Let's start with the body cam. >> Hello. I'm Officer Are you the driver of this car? >> Yeah, I was trying to get my uh uh >> All your stuff? >> Yeah, so I just got my wallet. >> Okay. You okay? Are you injured at all? Something concerning about What are these? Oh. I just Do you have a driver's license? I thought those were your credit cards. >> Yeah, I I I I'm trying to find my driver's license. I'll text you the address, too. >> Can we see your wallet so we can try to get your ID out of it? >> No, I don't have a wallet. >> Where'd you get your cards out of then? Do you have Do you have your Do you have your ID on you? >> Yeah, that's what I'm trying to send in the car. >> Okay. >> I'm trying to call my mom. >> I know. >> I know. >> Well, that's important, too, but we also need to identify you and figure out what happened, okay? >> You injured, buddy? >> Yeah. >> Huh? >> Yeah, I want to be in the ambulance. >> You want to go in the ambulance? >> All right, let me call them. >> What do you need to go in the ambulance for? >> Cuz I just injured. I don't know. I don't know. >> Okay, well, then we need to know what for. >> I'm trying to send you the address. I sent you my location. You had my location. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Okay, hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Yeah, I'm sending you the address. I sent you my >> to me. Listen. I need that picture of your ID to be >> Identification, yes, okay. Understand, sir. You're a public servant. Give me a second. Let me get my my my my my >> Listen to me. Listen to me. On camera, we have been very very understanding. Stop talking. Stop talking. and listen to me. You've been very understanding and we have been very patient with you. I need your identification. >> Yes. >> Please pull that up now. >> Hold on 1 second, sir. Hold on. You got the address? You guys got to wait. You guys hold on. >> What are we waiting for? >> So, this is what I know. >> What what what's what's what's holding us up right now? >> That's what we're trying to figure out. >> Excuse me, sir. Are you under the influence of any drugs, alcohol, anything like that? >> No, I'm not. I'm not. Hey, sleepy. Hey, bro. >> Do you need to go in the ambulance? All right, then let's get in the ambulance. This sir, he's not identifying himself. He's he's trying to get away. He's got people that pulled up there to pick him up. Okay. >> Are you are you going in the ambulance or not? >> He hit me. >> Are you going in the ambulance or not? >> to get somebody here. >> Yeah, we know you're trying to get someone here. Do you need to go in the ambulance? >> Yes. >> Then get in. >> But y'all not about to Y'all can't force >> We can't. We're either going to get you on the ambulance or we're going to do field sobriety tests with you right here right now. Which would you rather do? >> Both. >> Which would you rather do? Answer. >> I don't have to volunteer if you not >> No, then you go to jail. >> For what? >> For refusing to do field sobriety tests. That's an obligation under your license. >> I don't have a license. >> Oh, that's fantastic. >> That's great. So, you don't have a license. >> you can go to jail for driving without a license. >> No, I can't cuz I'm traveling. You don't know the law? >> Ah, this is good. This is going to be a good one. Okay. All right. Do me a favor. Turn around for me. >> No, no, no, no. What for what, bro? >> Put your hands >> Alcohol? Marijuana? >> Can I stand up? >> Stand him up. 10-32. >> 10-32? >> 10-32. >> I'll stand up. Take a few more times to take a few more times. >> Guys, he wants you guys to check him out. He's going to remain in our custody. >> Okay. Are you injured? >> Sorry. >> What's that? >> Ah. Got scale. >> Wait, hey. Ma'am, no. No, no, no, ma'am. Over here. >> I'm I'm his personal driver. >> Okay. You're whose mom? >> Where is him? >> Where is him? >> My son. >> What's his name? What's your son's name? >> Alpha. His name is Alpha. >> Alpha? >> His fingerprints are right here. >> Stay here. You hold him for a second. Was there a name on the pill bottle? Karen Karen Oh, he's not Karen. Karen >> You guys have not had no jurisdiction over me. You guys have totally violated my rights. >> Oh, no, sir. That is incorrect. That is incorrect. >> have made a complaint on you guys behalf. >> That is incorrect. >> What's that for, officer? >> Is that a firearm, registered? >> You guys have completely violated my rights. And all of you guys listening, you guys will never work again. On my soul. You guys will never work again. You guys will never work again. >> Okay, sir. >> You don't know the amount of liability of of completely violated my rights. >> What's your name, sir? What's your name and what's your bond number? >> What's your name? >> Officer Officer Officer Diaz, badge number 2613. All right. No, no, no, no, no. >> What? What is You need to identify yourself. >> did. I just said it. >> What's your name? >> Said Officer Diaz, badge number 2613. So, that's the second time I said that to you now. I have done that. I have done that. >> Captain, let me know if I just violated my rights. >> All right. I got a possible ID on him. I'm going to try and You want to put him in your car real quick? Yeah, get him out of here. >> Arrest me for no reason. Y'all don't have no probable cause to arrest me. >> bud. Please go to the car. >> Y'all don't even Y'all don't even have jurisdiction over Y'all didn't even try to see if y'all had >> Put your feet in. >> This is completely a case of this one. >> Put your feet in. >> I'm I'm going to be nice cuz Guess what? You always got to stay on armor, bro. >> Okay, brother. Back up real quick. >> You always got to stay on armor. >> Back up for me. What's your name? >> You asking for my name so you can gain jurisdiction over me. You just violated all of my rights. You better remove me now. Hey, bake call Swizzy, bro. No, no, no, no. Hey, hey, no. >> He's got a scale. He's got that second phone. He's got a oxy. He's got a lot of oxy and they're not in his name. Uh what's his name? Possibly. Alpha? >> Hey, bro, what is this? You hitting my baby, bro. My baby. >> Wait, I got to an accident. I owe you an >> Yeah, but you had drugs and gun You had drugs and scale and some and a gun on you, big dog. You have to provide ID when asked by law enforcement officers, especially in a crash after that you were involved in. >> Who law says that? Who law? Bring it up. Bring it up. >> involved in a traffic accident. >> the law that says that and that applies to >> All right, sir. I'm not going to argue with you all night. >> constitutional violations you just committed? >> I have not. >> You You You just violated so many constitutional violations that you'll never ever be able to work for this department >> I have not. >> You have >> I have not. >> You just kidnapped me, sir. >> not kidnap you. >> This personal jurisdiction and it's subject to jurisdiction. What in the constitution What in the constitution gives you that power to do that? What in the Have you ever read the constitution? >> I had to learn it, yes, sir. That's part of the job. >> the constitution gives you the power to do what you just did to me? >> Drugs in your crotch, bro. Of course we're going to search you. >> You think this is constitutional? >> You're beyond the constitutional right now. >> You think this is constitutional? >> Yes. That's my oxy. think it's oxy and >> I rebuke it. >> bunch of stuff. You You can't Once he started like talking like this, we were like, "Okay, yeah. I guess I'm going to be here for a while." >> [laughter] >> Hey, so we have a piece of paper here saying we seized your money based off your your CDS transactions, all right? Do you want to sign saying that money was seized? Otherwise, you won't be able to get that money back if you're found not guilty. All right, I'm not going to explain it again. Okay. Have a good day. >> So, how did we get here? Because by the time that body cam started recording, ICE was already involved. Federal court would soon follow. The body cam captured one day. The records explain [music] everything that led to it. Let's look at 2018. Our timeline begins in Howard County, attempted distribution of narcotics. This case began in district court [music] before being forwarded to the circuit court. And as you're about to see, this was far from the end. Just a few months later, that Howard County case reached its conclusion. Sovereign [music] Alpha entered an Alford plea. An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain innocence while acknowledging the prosecution has enough evidence to likely obtain a conviction. The court accepted the plea. A guilty disposition was entered. Case closed. Unfortunately, the story does not end there. And while Howard County was coming to an end, another criminal case was already underway. This time, Anne Arundel County. Another controlled dangerous substance case. The court granted probation before judgment. But, Sovereign Alpha wasn't about to let that stop him. Then, Prince George's County. More criminal charges, another guilty finding, >> [music] >> different county, same direction. September 24th, 2019, police attempt to arrest Sovereign Alpha on outstanding [music] warrants. What happened next made local news. Rather than have me explain it, let's watch it together. >> [clears throat] >> Sean, no officers or neighbors were hurt today as police shot at the suspect, but take a look at this. An officer's bullet hit this family's glass door, shattering it. I spoke to the man who lived here. He says he was still very shaken up. He says his entire family, including children, were inside this home as it happened. So, that surveillance video you saw, it came from a home just behind me here, and it captured what happened right here in the road in front of me. Take a look at that video one more time. What you're seeing here is the suspect's car, the sedan that goes up on the sidewalk, and that's a police van that hits the car. You can hear officers firing shots from inside the van as the suspect drives off. Before any of this happened, Prince George's County Police were at this apartment community trying to track down the suspect, a man named Alpha, 20 years old, and wanted on drug charges. Police say he's run from them several times before. Just after 3:00 this afternoon, they found him here at Summerlin Apartments on Bowie Road off of Laurel Bowie Road. An officer says as he approached, he tried to hit him with his car. That officer then fired several rounds at the suspect. He took off, and then as police went after him, that collision happened that was caught on surveillance video, and two additional officers fired shots. We asked police, did the suspect fire any shots today? And I'm told that is still under investigation. Police chased him from here into Anne Arundel County, then into Howard County, but lost sight of him after that. >> I can tell our community we have recovered that suspect vehicle. In that suspect vehicle, there is an extraordinarily small amount of blood. There are broken windows. The amount of blood we're seeing in that car is not consistent with a gunshot injury. >> So, police do have his car, but they are still looking for him tonight. That police van you saw in the surveillance video ended up getting shot by an officer. We saw that vehicle being towed away a little while ago. So, a lot going on here this afternoon into the evening. Very nerve-wracking, especially for all of the families we saw here with children, and for those who heard gunfire and had no idea what was going on. >> I heard the gunshots. Mhm. It was 10. So, I would I was I stayed in my house. >> And back out here live now, the police chief tells me the reason the bullet shattered the glass, but did not go through this family's door is due to the type of ammunition that they use for precisely this reason. Back to you. >> The Laurel shooting made the news, but that wasn't the end of the story. 10 days later, September 27th, 2019, ICE issued an immigration detainer. At that point, this wasn't just a Maryland criminal case anymore. It had become an immigration case and the criminal case. Two completely different court systems, one very bad set of circumstances. While in ICE custody, Sovereign Alpha filed federal habeas petitions challenging his detention. There's a little irony there for somebody who spent years arguing courts have no authority. Now, he's asking the federal court to exercise its authority. [music] That's not sarcasm. That's exactly what happened. Eventually, the federal court issued its opinion. Before addressing the legal issues, the judge explained how this case arrived in federal court. According to the opinion, Sovereign Alpha is a citizen of Denmark. You heard me right, a citizen of Denmark. He entered the United States as a child and later became the subject of removal proceedings. By this point, his criminal history and immigration case had become intertwined. Understanding one requires understanding the other. The opinion continues [music] explaining that Sovereign Alpha's father filed an I-130 petition for alien relative. Wait a minute. Alpha? Alf? Alien relative? >> Objection. >> The petition was approved. Now, some people would stop reading right there. The court didn't. [music] Approval of the petition did not end the immigration case because [music] the criminal history still mattered. Details matter. Reading the whole opinion matters even more. After reviewing everything, the federal [music] court ordered an individualized bond hearing. Notice what the court order actually says. It didn't dismiss the criminal charges. It didn't declare Sovereign Alpha innocent. It didn't order ICE to simply open the doors. Instead, the government had to justify continued detention by clear and convincing evidence. The immigration judge also had to consider alternatives to detention along with his ability to post bond. Again, that's not my interpretation. That's what the federal court ordered. And while those immigration proceedings continued, life didn't suddenly become less complicated. Fast forward to January of 2025 and now we know what happened after the body cam stopped rolling. Investigators documented a substantial quantity of narcotics, a loaded [music] firearm, cash, and additional drugs discovered during booking. Those aren't YouTube rumors. Those are filed charging documents. The case moved into circuit court, pre-trial motions were filed, evidence was presented, and in July the jury heard the case. And after considering the evidence, returned guilty verdicts. The court imposed a 60-year sentence, suspending all but 30 years. Turns out, there was a lot more going on than simply traveling. Then, the case took another turn. [music] Sovereign Alpha appealed. Now, here's where people often misunderstand appellate courts. [music] They aren't deciding guilt or innocence, they're deciding whether the trial followed the law. The court found a reversible error, specifically after Sovereign Alpha was removed from the courtroom during trial, thanks to his sovereign outbursts. The trial court failed to advise him that he could return upon a promise of good behavior, and then [music] failed to provide later opportunities to return. Because of that, the convictions [music] were reversed and the case was remanded for a new trial. Notice what the opinion doesn't say. It doesn't say the evidence disappeared. It doesn't say the charges disappeared. It doesn't say he was found [music] innocent. It says another jury gets to hear the evidence. As for me, I'm still going to recommend saying no to drugs. The squirrels have suffered enough. >> This is a message from the Society for the Prevention of Stupidity to Animals. There is a tragedy going on in major city parks all over this country. Our current inner-city drug problems have created a terrifying phenomenon. Crack-addicted squirrels. Yes, innocent, defenseless squirrels are collecting discarded crack vials instead of nuts. And these poor squirrels have become addicted and will do anything for their next fix. It is not A PRETTY SIGHT. FOR YOUR DONATION, you'll get a picture of your squirrel and a letter detailing his or her daily progress. The sight of roving squirrel gangs is pathetic, attacking chipmunks and pigeons with used syringes, little bandannas on their heads. It's frightening. And something must be done. Won't you help? Help a crack-addicted squirrel get the monkey off its back. Remember, a squirrel is a terrible thing to waste. >> And on that note, if today's episode reminded you of anything, it's that reading the court records tells a very different story than watching a 2-minute clip on social media. And [music] if you appreciate fact-based content, please take a moment to like, subscribe, share the video, and leave a comment below. It really does help the channel, and I enjoy reading what you have to say. And to our channel members, thank you. Your continued support allows me to spend the time researching court records, reviewing public documents, and putting these episodes together. I truly appreciate every one of you. Wanishi. One thing this case reminds [music] us is that court records matter. It's easy to watch a short clip online or hear someone's version of events and think you got the whole story. [music] Most of the time, you don't. This episode started with a traffic crash, but the court record showed years of criminal cases, an ICE detainer, federal litigation, a jury trial, and ultimately an appellate court ordering a new trial. That's why I always encourage people to read the records, [music] read the opinions, and verify the facts for yourself, because facts don't care what someone believes. Until next time, I'll see you soon.