SAUGERTIES – A Powder River, Montana man was taken to the hospital in Kingston for mental health evaluation after he blocked all four lanes of traffic on the Route 212 Thruway overpass in the Town of Saugerties with his pickup truck and camper trailer.
Saugerties Police were called to the scene at 5:25 p.m. on Sunday where they found 53-year-old Joseph Britt Jr. standing outside his vehicle with his dog.
Police said he was agitated and told officers his children were taken away from him seven years ago and he was frustrated over the legal system in Ulster County.
He also told officers he had issues with the federal government that attempted to wage war on him because he was a past presidential candidate.
Police said Britt continued his rant stating the FBI and CIA had deemed him to be Jesus Christ and occasionally the anti-Christ.
A file check revealed a warrant for Britt’s arrest from Montana, but it was not extraditable.
Officers took Britt into custody and found two knives in his possession.
The Thruway was shut down in both directions while police cleared the vehicles from the scene.
Saugerties Police were assisted at the scene by the Centerville Cedar Grove Fire Department, State Police and the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office.
