The trial for the man who allegedly shot a Deputy in Oconee County during a traffic stop is underway. Opening statements in the case against Gregory Maxwell were made Monday morning. Maxwell is charged with attempted murder. He's accused of shooting Corporal Lucas Watts during a 2023 traffic stop. Maxwell reportedly fired both a rifle and a handgun during the incident.
A bullet went through the windshield of the patrol vehicle Watts was in, the round hit Watts leaving him with critical injuries. Watts has had to medically retired from law enforcement since the shooting. Jury selection is underway in the trial, Maxwell previously told the court he did not want a public defender. Maxwell does not believe the government has authority over him.
His defense is expected to hinge on his Sovereign Citizen beliefs. Sovereign Citizens do not recognize the government's authority. They are described as an "anti-government extremist movement that believes they are immune to local, state and federal laws".
