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Wakefield standoff
Location
Interstate 95 near Wakefield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Result Rise of the Moors members and others captured
Belligerents
Members of the Rise of the Moors and others Wakefield Police Department
MassachusettsMassachusetts State Police
Casualties and losses
11 arrested 0

On July 3, 2021, a standoff occurred between individuals, some of whom are alleged to be members of a militia group called Rise of the Moors, some of whom were armed, and state and local police officers on Interstate 95 in Wakefield, Massachusetts.[1][2][3] This incident began when an officer with the Massachusetts State Police responded to stopped vehicles and allegedly found several in the group carrying long guns, side-arms, and wearing body armor. Police said the group claimed to be traveling from Rhode Island to Maine for training on privately owned land.[4][5][6] The standoff lasted several hours and resulted in eleven arrests, ten of whom are adults and one child.[7][8][9]

Background

Rise of the Moors is a New England group whose members identify as Moorish Americans.[10][11] An Instagram account connected to the group says its goal is to continue the work of Noble Drew Ali, founder of the Moorish Science Temple of America.[12] According to The Washington Post, the group is part of the Moorish sovereign-citizen movement, who claim immunity from local, state and federal laws.[13] Similarly, the Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the Rise of the Moors as an "anti-government group"[10] and identifies the Moorish sovereign-citizen movement with the broader sovereign-citizen movement.[11]

Aftermath

About two weeks after the standoff, some of those arrested filed a $70,000,000 civil rights and defamation lawsuit against media outlets, the Massachusetts State Police, some individual troopers involved in the standoff, the presiding arraignment judge, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for "violating the claimants civil, national and human rights."[14] The suit was dismissed as it would involve federal intervention in state court proceedings and that the allegations did not demonstrate any defamation.[15]

At arraignment, all of the adults arrested and charged entered pleas of "not guilty." Several of the adults allegedly changed their names to Moorish Science inspired names.[16] The cases are pending in Middlesex Superior Court. Many of the individuals are representing themselves. At least one of the defendants has a privately retained lawyer. As of mid-October 2022 all of the defendants have been released from pretrial detention.

References

  1. ^ Paz, Isabella Grullón (July 3, 2021). "11 Arrested in Armed Roadside Standoff in Massachusetts". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  2. ^ Boryga, Andrew (July 3, 2021). "Heavily Armed Militia Group Shut Down Massachusetts Highway in Bizarre Standoff". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  3. ^ Lonas, Lexi (July 3, 2021). "Armed standoff shuts down Massachusetts highway, prompts shelter-in-place". The Hill. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  4. ^ Hilliard, John; Crimaldi, Laura; Milkovits, Amanda; Lyons, Jack (July 3, 2021). "Group of men involved in hours-long highway standoff expected to face 'a variety of charges'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Crimaldi, Laura; Milkovits, Amanda (July 3, 2021). "What is 'Rise of the Moors,' the R.I. group that broadcast live from the I-95 standoff?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "Photos, video: the Interstate 95 standoff". The Boston Globe. July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  7. ^ Anders, Caroline; Butler, Desmond (July 3, 2021). "Hours-long standoff between police, heavily armed men in Massachusetts ends with 11 arrests". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  8. ^ Mogensen, Jackie Flynn (July 3, 2021). "New, weird details just emerged about an armed militia standoff in Massachusetts". Mother Jones. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  9. ^ "11 people in custody after hourslong armed standoff on I-95". AP News. Associated Press. July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Morrison, Heather (July 6, 2021). "'Rise of the Moors' classified as antigovernment group by Southern Poverty Law Center". MassLive.
  11. ^ a b Williams, Michelle (July 3, 2021). "What we know about the group engaged with state police in I-95 shutdown". MassLive. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  12. ^ "Massachusetts armed group arrested after stand-off with police". BBC News. July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  13. ^ Hauptman, Max (July 4, 2021). "What to know about Rise of the Moors, an armed group that says it's not subject to U.S. law". The Washington Post.
  14. ^ "Rise of the Moors members involved in armed standoff sue state police, judge", boston.com, AP, July 28, 2021, retrieved July 30, 2021
  15. ^ "Federal judge dismisses lawsuit brought by Rise of the Moors after I-95 standoff in Wakefield", wcvb.com, AP, August 18, 2021, retrieved August 23, 2021
  16. ^ "11 People Charged After Standoff In Wakefield On I-95; 8 Publicly Identified By Police". www.cbsnews.com. July 3, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
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