Dwight Watson (farmer) facts for kids

Dwight Ware Watson (born September 28, 1952, died December 7, 2024) was a tobacco farmer from North Carolina. People in the news called him the "Tractor Man." In March 2003, he caused a big stir in Washington, D.C. He drove his tractor into a pond on the National Mall. He said he had explosives, which led to a two-day standoff with police. He later gave up, and no explosives were found. He was found guilty of making a false threat and damaging government property. He spent 16 months in prison.

Dwight Watson's Story

Watson used to be a military police officer in the U.S. Army. He had a tobacco farm that had been in his family for five generations. It was getting harder for him to make a living from his farm. He felt that new government rules about tobacco were making things difficult for farmers like him.

In 1999, Watson reportedly drove his tractor to Washington, D.C., to protest for the first time. He drove around the city and then left without any problems. After a bad drought and his crop quota being cut in half, he decided he couldn't afford his farm anymore. So, in March 2003, he drove his tractor to D.C. again.

The Standoff in Washington

On March 17, 2003, around 12:30 p.m., Watson drove his John Deere tractor into a shallow pond. This pond was in Constitution Gardens, near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He was wearing a military helmet and had an upside-down American flag.

Watson said he was protesting against cuts to government help for tobacco farmers. He also wanted to bring attention to how Gulf War veterans were treated. Police said Watson claimed he had explosives and would set them off if they came near him.

Because of his threats, the police closed off a large area of the National Mall. They also asked people to leave several nearby government buildings. Major roads in the area were closed, which caused huge traffic jams across Washington for many hours.

A special police team, with about 200 officers, surrounded the pond. Watson drove his tractor in circles and talked to the police and news reporters on his cell phone. After 48 hours, on March 19, Watson gave up to the authorities. The police searched his tractor but found no explosives.

Court and Prison Time

After the standoff, Watson was charged with federal crimes. These included making a false threat about explosives and damaging government property. He had a trial in a federal court in Washington, D.C.

Watson tried to defend himself in court. He said his comments about a "bomb" were just about bug spray he had, which he wanted to show was harmful. However, he had told police earlier that he let them believe he had real explosives. The jury quickly decided he was guilty of both charges.

Watson's sentencing was delayed several times. The judge, Thomas Penfield Jackson, wanted to check Watson's mental health. The judge first gave Watson a six-year prison sentence. He felt Watson's actions were dangerous and caused a lot of trouble. Later, the U.S. Supreme Court made a ruling that changed how judges could give sentences. Because of this, Judge Jackson reduced Watson's sentence to 16 months.

Since Watson had already been in prison for more than 15 months, he was released the very next day. He went back to his family and farm in North Carolina.

Prosecutors thought the reduced sentence was too short. Nearly four years later, Watson had to go back to court. The judge decided not to send him back to prison. He noted that Watson was working and helping his sister, and sending him back to prison wouldn't help the public much.

How People Reacted

Many people were concerned that one man could cause so much disruption in the nation's capital. This happened just months after other security events and before a big war. Some people criticized the police for being too slow to act. A newspaper columnist wrote that it seemed too easy for someone to cause such a problem.

However, others believed the police were right to be patient and try to end the standoff peacefully.

A Congressman from North Carolina, Bob Etheridge, said that while he didn't agree with Watson's actions, the farmer showed the "pain and frustration" felt by tobacco farmers. Many people, including other farmers, saw Watson as a patriot. They believed he used peaceful protest to show real problems. A website started by tobacco farmers even called him an "American hero."

See also

• Norman Mayer, a protester who threatened the Washington Monument in 1982.