'Free citizen' who claims he doesn't recognise laws arrested after brandishing pig-shaped bomb with ‘F*** the police’ written on it

Minnesota police deploy robot to tear off doors of camper van to end four-hour stand-off

Dennis Duane Vann had a pig-shaped explosive in his camper van (Ramsey County Sheriff's Office)

A “free citizen” who claims not to recognise laws, allegedly threatened to kill police officers with a pig-shaped explosive emblazoned with the words “f*** the police”.

Dennis Duane Vann, 42, was arrested after a four-hour stand-off in his camper van in Maplewood, Minnesota.

The confrontation began when police were called to remove the vehicle from a supermarket on Friday, according to court papers.

Officers looked up the van’s registration number and learned his licence had been revoked and there was a warrant for his arrest over unpaid child support in neighbouring Kanebec County.

They knocked at the vehicle’s door but there was no answer. Minutes later, Mr Vann drove off and was pursued by police for two miles until he stopped at a shopping centre.

“When told he was being stopped because his license was revoked and he had a taillight out, Vann said he didn’t need a driver’s licence and is not required to follow the traffic laws as he is a free citizen,” police said in a criminal complaint.

Self-described free citizens, also known as sovereign citizens, believe they are exempt from legal constraints.

Mr Vann refused to leave the vehicle and told police it would be “a huge mistake” if they tried to force him.

When asked why, he replied: “Because two people would die today - that’s f***ing why.”

Maplewood police chief Scott Nadeau told local newspaper the Pioneer Press, Mr Vann said ”couple of cops are going to die” and made “multiple references to having an IED”.

The van was soon surrounded by local officers, state police, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, and a SWAT team. The surrounding area was evacuated before the SWAT team fired tear gas through the vehicle’s window and deployed a robot to tear off its back door.

Mr Vann crawled out of the vehicle and surrendered.

The criminal complaint noted that police recovered “a device from the RV that was shaped like a pig and had ‘f**k the police’ written on it.

It added: “The pig held an energetic powder and appears to be an explosive device.”

Mr Vann was arrested and charged with making threats of violence with reckless disregard for risk and fleeing police. He may face further charges following on tests on whether the pig-shaped object qualifies as an explosive device.