Successful YouTuber Erik Van Conover—who has over 2.7 million subscribers—is facing an attempted murder charge after he allegedly tried to run over a police officer with his Jeep.
As reported by Law & Crime, Conover has insisted that he never tried to kill the police officer and called the whole situation "a massive misunderstanding" during his bail hearing on Sunday, March 17. The YouTuber runs a channel in which he gives tours of luxury properties and said authorities have mistaken him for another Erik Conover for the attempted murder of Bartlett Patrol Officer Cameron Emmett.
Per WMUR, Conover got even more heated in his statements in court on Monday, March 18 during his arraignment. "I have everything right here, and it's all falsified," he said, accusing the police of falsifying paperwork related to his arrest. "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."
Bartlett Police Sgt. Brian Moffit said that Conover was driving approximately 55-60 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone when Emmett had another car pulled over. He pursued Conover and was able to stop him, but then the situation escalated.
"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," said Moffit on Sunday. "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."
Conover has denied the allegations. He was arrested last week on a separate drunk driving charge, which he also denied.