A Florida man was arrested after allegedly flashing a badge that stated he was a "bounty hunter" and refusing to comply with law enforcement.
Lake County Sheriff's deputies pulled up to the vehicle of Tippy Iwin Peek, 55, at a traffic stop around 6 p.m. Monday, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Deputies say Peek's vehicle tag was expired and he appeared to have illegally tinted windows.
Peek, who was wearing a knife sheath on his leg, refused to give the deputy his license, registration or proof of insurance, according to an arrest report. He handed over a badge that stated he was a "bounty hunter" and a "private attorney general," the report said.
The Clermont man then allegedly stated that he "did not qualify for a license nor did he have to register the motor vehicle according to the laws," according to Click Orlando.
He then slapped the deputy with a homemade citation for "denial of right under color of law."
"Color of law" abuses occur when someone operating under government authority uses that authority to deprive another person of a constitutional right, according to FBI.gov.
The deputy said Peek's accusation didn't apply to him and Peek replied, "it will if you continue to detain me," according to the report, then rolled up his window and refused to open it.
The deputies continued to yell at him to open the window until one drew his gun. Peek requested he put away the gun, and after he did, Peek opened the door.
The report states that deputies searched the vehicle and found a lunch box containing marijuana, an altered driver's license, and a rotating blue light on the center console that could contribute to the car being mistaken for a police vehicle. Peek allegedly grabbed one of the officer's hands away when the officer tried to search him.
He was arrested and charged with resisting an officer without violence, battery on an officer, marijuana possession and paraphernalia possession. He has since bonded out of jail, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
"I'm not trying to violate anyone's rights," Peek told the Orlando Sentinel. "I'm trying to sustain rights of the public."
Peek told the paper he keeps the "color of law" citations with him and hands them out whenever an official violates a constitutional right.
Related
Before You Go
