Patrick Hurst: Texas 'sovereign citizen' killed in police shootout while livestreaming

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

HOUSTON, TEXAS: A dramatic encounter unfolded in Houston as Patrick Hurst, a 47-year-old man self-identifying as a "sovereign citizen," engaged in a fatal shootout with law enforcement officers while streaming live on Facebook.

The incident began when Harris County deputies attempted to pull over Hurst for an expired registration and a damaged tailgate on Sunday, April 14.

Patrick Hurst's defiance leads to fatal exchange with law enforcement

Refusing to comply with their orders, Hurst asserted his status as a member of an extremist movement that rejects the authority of government institutions. Attempting to evade arrest, the suspect fled the scene, only to be intercepted by law enforcement using spike strips.

During a subsequent confrontation, captured on his Facebook Live stream, Hurst brandished a handgun and opened fire at pursuing officers, resulting in his own death. Tragically, a bystander nearby sustained injuries during the exchange and a private school bus was struck by gunfire, though no children were aboard at the time. “This could have gone a lot differently had he just complied,” Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

Sheriff cites potential risks of extremist ideologies

Angela Washington, Hurst's sister, revealed that she had been in communication with him and was following his livestream, desperately urging him “Don’t do it,” reported KTRK. “What we saw [Sunday], I feel like, was a mental breakdown,” she said of her brother's mental health struggles.

The sheriff linked Hurst's actions to the 'Sovereign Citizens Movement', an extremist anti-government faction, suggesting that such confrontations often carry the risk of violence due to their members' rejection of governmental authority.

“Many times, sovereign individuals … it does show that these situations do have a chance to turn violent,” Gonzalez added. “Under their belief, they are not under the authority of federal government or law enforcement.”

However, Washington countered this characterization, asserting that her brother had never expressed extremist views or identified as part of the movement. “He doesn’t hate the police," Washington claimed noting, "He was always doing God’s work. He was always doing our father’s business. That’s the honest to God’s truth. So this was a big shock.”