stratford arrest cease desist

Conspiracy theorist claims Ontario cop can't arrest him and is immediately arrested

An arrest video out of Stratford, Ontario, offers a window into the mind of a conspiracy theorist who insisted throughout a drawn-out takedown that it was the arresting police officer, and not himself, facing legal trouble.

The video was posted to one of the Telegram channels of the self-proclaimed Queen of Canada (and Walmart version of a QAnon figurehead) Romana Didulo.

Didulo's so-called "army" of anti-vaxxer followers roll around equipped with fake cease and desist orders, which their monarch has decreed (from her mobile home) will turn the tables on cops.

Spoiler alert: They won't.

The video proves that these cease and desist orders won't prevent those holding them from ending up face down on the pavement in handcuffs.

Constable C. Burkholder of the Stratford Police was unlucky enough to be the recipient of one of these orders during the arrest of a man parked in his driveway, wanted with multiple warrants out for his name.

"Constable Burkholder, you are served, my friend," says the driver as he hands the officer what he likely believes to be valid legal documents.

"Yeah, that's fine," says the officer, brushing off the man's baseless claim.

The officer asks the man to open his car door, and the man immediately refuses the request, stating that the police officer is on his property and implying that this somehow absolves him from arrest, rolling up his driver-side window in the officer's face.

"You're under arrest," says Burkholder, tapping on the window. "You heard me. You're under arrest. You have a warrant."

The driver argues that "You heard me. You've been served."

He then grills Constable Burkholder on the grounds for his arrest. Visibly annoyed, the officer explains that the man has a warrant for multiple charges.

"That's for the person, sir. I'm not the person; I am a man." the driver attempts to explain using the lingo of the sovereign citizen movement, adding that the cop should read the bogus paperwork because he is "liable."

A slight hiccup emerges when the man reveals his daughter is in the car. Once she exits the vehicle, the officer, entirely out of patience with the alleged offender, says, "you can open the door and get out."

"Listen, sir," the man in the car protests, but the cop isn't having it, repeating "out, out, out, now" while opening the door and physically removing the driver.

"Do I have the right to remain silent?" asks the driver, who, like many in the anti-vaxxer, sovereign citizen movement, seem to believe that U.S.-style Miranda rights must be read during Canadian arrests.

They do not. This isn't an episode of Law and Order. It's Canada. Didn't your Queen tell you?

A struggle ensues as the man is placed in handcuffs, and the video cuts out just as the driver smugly tells the cop that "this is unfortunate for you."

Clearly unperturbed, Burkholder asked the cuffed driver, "why is that?" A valid question.

After the events of the video, the man claims to have been "held in captivity for 12 hours," during which time he was "mocked" by being told he may need mental help for his belief in this self-titled Queen of Canada.

Apparently, he found his cease and desist order in his driveway, and seemed surprised at the fact that the officer didn't take the paperwork after the arrest.

They could have at least placed it in the trash bin.

Lead photo by

@Eatsfood2


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