A fugitive who barricaded himself on his 47-acre ranch near Tool and Trinidad for 14 years no longer faces arrest.

Anderson County dropped charges against John Joe Gray. He was arrested in 1999 during a traffic stop on charges of carrying a pistol without a concealed handgun license and assaulting a law enforcement officer during a scuffle that included Gray biting the officer.

Gray bonded out of jail and refused to return to court to face charges, although he promised a judge he would, according to a Southern Poverty Law Center report that suggested Gray might be a member of an anti-government militia.

He and his family guarded their property with weapons, which was also contrary to the judge's ruling, and they posted a sign saying, "When people fear the government there is tyranny. When government fears the people there is freedom."

Gray, 66, who attracted international attention, said he had a God-given right to carry a gun.

Law enforcement officials said they never tried to arrest him on the open warant out of fear of bloodshed that seemed uncalled for given the minor nature of the charges.

Most local residents knew about Gray's presence, and they avoided his property for fear of getting shot.