Who is the armed group involved in I-95 standoff in Massachusetts?
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  A tense standoff in Massachusetts between police and a group of armed suspects shut down part of I-95 north of Boston on the busy Fourth of July holiday weekend. Massachusetts State Police Col. Christopher Mason said the men identified themselves as being part of a group known as Rise of the Moors.  12 News Law Enforcement Analyst Col. Steven ODonnell said that group has been on law enforcement radars since the 1990s. According to ODonnell, Rise of the Moors believe their ancestors came from Morocco and therefore they do not have to answer to U.S. law, which ODonnell said poses a big threat. They dont t believe they have to pay taxes, listen to the courts, listen to the government listen to any laws, and thats certainly not the case and obviously they found out that wasnt accurate.  All suspects were charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, use of body armor in commission of a crime, possession of a high capacity magazine, improper storage of firearms in a vehicle, and conspiracy to commit a crime. ODonnell credits Massachusetts State Police for how they handled the situation with the armed men. He said it could have been a very different story. If you look at history with these type of, and I would call them sovereign citizens groups, Theyve turned lethal for law enforcement in different places around the country. This, luckily, didnt turn that way.  ODonnell said this incident isnt unusual, especially after a major economic event like the pandemic. Theres been major issues with the economy, or this is the best example of a major issue, we just had a pandemic so the economy turned pretty sour, theres some angry people, and that always spurs some anti government rhetoric and things like that.  And he warns that groups like The Rise of the Moors poses a threat to organizations looking to be recognized. So theres a whole indigenous movement out of Rhode Island and other states to be recognized by our government but theyre doing it through a process. Theyre legally trying to find data and have lawyers and theyre working with the state and federal governments to figure out how they go about living within the rules of this country.