A famous YouTube star who was charged with the attempted murder of a police officer screamed at a judge in a bizarre rant during his arraignment hearing.
Erik Van Conover, 35, a content creator who shares luxury real estate properties with his nearly three million subscribers, was arrested on March 15 after he allegedly mowed down New Hampshire Bartlett Patrol Officer Cameron Emmett during a routine traffic stop.
Emmett was attempting to pull over Conover after he sped past him in his Jeep going 55-60 mph in a 35 mph zone on West Side Road, Bartlett Police Sgt. Brian Moffitt said in court, The Conway Daily Sun reported.
After allegedly running over the officer and throwing him an estimated 20-40ft, Conover continued to drive another 28 miles until he was officially pulled over and arrested, according to court documents obtained by the outlet.
During his court hearing, Conover said the entire situation is just a ‘massive misunderstanding,’ insisting that he is a ‘public figure’ because of his large following online.
‘I have everything right here, and it’s all falsified,’ he said as he lifted up police paperwork related to his case.
‘If anyone dares try to test my mental competence, I will eviscerate every single person with my intelligence right now. And that’s not being egotistical,’ the YouTuber added.
In another moment, he shouted: ‘Mom! Thank God, look at me!,’ as his parents joined the virtual court hearing.
YouTuber Erik Van Conover, 35, went on a bizarre rant in court as he was charged with attempted murder of a police officer
Conover, who shares luxury real estate properties with his nearly three million subscribers, insists he is innocent and that the entire incident was a ‘massive misunderstanding’
His father and mother then tried to calm him down, as she told her son: ‘Eric, Eric, we’re here to help you.’
Conway Circuit Judge Charles Greenhalgh ordered Conover to be held without bail pending his probable cause hearing on Tuesday
Conover also took a moment to pray, reciting the ‘Our Father’ prayer as he donned a blue prison jumpsuit.
The content creator insisted that police allegedly have the wrong person, as he told Magistrate Judge Mark Howard that he is from New York, not Absecon, New Jersey, like authorities claim he is.
‘This seems to be a massive misunderstanding. I’m exactly who I say I am. I’m a YouTuber,’ he continued.
Moffitt said the incident started after Emmett caught Conover speeding nearly two times over the legal limit.
Emmett then pursued Conover and managed to stop him, but that is when the moment turned violent.
‘While Officer Emmett exited his vehicle, he moved around to the rear of his cruiser, and you, Mr. Conover, then backed his vehicle rapidly, pointed it directly at Officer Emmett, and accelerated at him, striking him at a reasonably high rate of speed,’ Moffitt said in court.
‘We’re very fortunate that an amateur drone operator was in the air when he saw the interaction and was able to capture it on video.’
New Hampshire Bartlett Patrol Officer Cameron Emmett (pictured) was thrown 20-40ft after Conover allegedly mowed him down. He suffered a leg injury
Moffitt said the incident started after Emmett caught Conover speeding nearly two times over the legal limit
The entire pursuit lasted 38 miles until Conover was stopped by state police officers who deployed spike strips on the road to stop him
Emmett suffered a leg injury from the incident.
After allegedly hitting the officer, Conover continued to drive to the town of Carroll and was eventually chased down by deputies with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.
The entire pursuit lasted 38 miles until Conover was stopped by state police officers who deployed spike strips on the road to stop him.
Keith Blair, a Carroll County Attorney representing the state, said: ‘You know, the state’s position is that when a law enforcement officer signals for you to pull over and stop, you should do so.’
Meanwhile, Conover’s attorney, Nicholas Howie, said his client ‘denies these allegations’ and ‘does not agree with the reports as they are stated.’
Conover’s attorney, Nicholas Howie, said his client ‘denies these allegations’ and ‘does not agree with the reports as they are stated’
During court, Moffitt brought up that the YouTube star had been arrested just days earlier on DUI charges.
Conover claimed he was only charged with possession of marijuana during that incident. He was later released on personal recognizance.
Conway Circuit Judge Charles Greenhalgh ordered Conover to be held without bail pending his probable cause hearing on Tuesday in relation to the attempted murder charge.
He has also been charged with disobeying an officer, reckless operation, second degree assault, first degree assault with a deadly weapon, reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and conduct after accident, according to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com.
Conover has pleaded not guilty to all those charges. In addition to his DUI charge, he is also facing a reckless operation and open container charge.
For the DUI, Conover is expected to appear in court on April 14, records show.
DailyMail.com contacted the Carroll County Attorney Office and Howie for comment.
Conover has openly talked about his sobriety on his YouTube channel, according to a recent video posted a month ago.
During court, Moffitt brought up that the YouTube star had been arrested just days earlier on DUI charges
Conover has pleaded not guilty to all those charges. In addition to his DUI charge, he is also facing a reckless operation and open container charge
In the clip, the first episode of his podcast, he said that as of March 14 – a day before his arrest – he was ‘1,566 days sober from alcohol.’
‘I am starting this podcast as an act of service. If I actually really reflect and think about it, this podcast is so important to me because it’s literally the first time in a decade of creating content online that I’m making something from conscious intent, rather than compulsion,’ he said.
‘I had a scarce mindset for far too long in my life and getting sober was an awakening to that.’
His bio on his channel reads: ‘This channel explores homes built for energetic resonance and human expansion.
‘From luxury estates designed with frequency-based intelligence to real estate infused with ancient wisdom and quantum design principles, these are the spaces shaping the future of conscious living.’
