A Louisiana motorist who led police on a bizarre 13-minute chase—claiming he was a “sovereign citizen” and a “man of God” who was simply too afraid to stop—has lost his fight to stay out of prison.
On Wednesday, the Second Circuit Court of Appeal upheld the four-year hard labor sentence for Jerron Bailey, Sr., ruling that his dangerous driving outweighed his claims of fear.
The case stems from a chaotic night on November 13, 2022. According to court records, Shreveport Police Officer Nathaniel Davis clocked Bailey doing 92 mph in a 60 mph zone. When the officer attempted a traffic stop, Bailey refused to pull over, initiating what prosecutors described as a game of “cat and mouse.”
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Dash cam footage played for the jury showed Bailey inching forward whenever officers approached his vehicle, only to speed off again. While Bailey drove slowly through residential areas, officers testified that he sped up significantly on major roads, blowing through red lights and stop signs and repeatedly crossing the center yellow line into opposing traffic.
During the pursuit, Bailey could be heard on the recording telling officers he was a “scared citizen” or “sovereign citizen.” He insisted he was afraid for his life and demanded officers follow him to his house. Upon his eventual arrest in his own driveway, Bailey begged police not to kill him, identifying himself as a “man of God.”
A Caddo Parish jury acquitted Bailey of aggravated assault on a peace officer but found him guilty of aggravated flight. The trial judge handed down a four-year sentence—just one year shy of the maximum penalty at the time.
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In his appeal, Bailey argued the punishment was excessive. He contended that he was unarmed, had no history of violence, and was driven by genuine fear rather than criminal intent. His defense pointed to the fact that the jury cleared him of the assault charge as proof that he didn’t intend to harm anyone.
However, the appellate judges weren’t swayed.
In the ruling handed down Wednesday, Judge Cox noted that while the chase occurred late at night with light traffic, Bailey’s erratic driving posed a legitimate threat to the public. By running red lights and swerving into ongoing traffic lanes, the court determined that Bailey created a dangerous environment that justified a near-maximum sentence.
Bailey will continue to serve his four-year term at hard labor.
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