Shooting at Twin Peaks in Waco

[treadlightly]

After the Waco madness I was very surprised to learn that two local carpenters I've hired (and will hire in the future) are members of the Cossacks. They don't wear cuts. Law enforcement officers here say the local Cossacks are harmless, at least now. I think 40 years ago it was a different story.

It was a shock to learn I'm on a first name basis with two people who are Cossacks. If asked about either of the two, I always give an honest report. They are honest businessmen and I don't hesitate to employ them.

Sort of extending personal experience, if I had been at Twin Peaks that day I would have had a firearm with me. I am inclined to strongly suspect there were bikers there who were no more of a threat to the general peace than I am, armed for no reason other than general principles.

But they all knew Bandidos would be there. That's hard to get past.

Based on personal experience, I probably wouldn't get nervous if I saw Cossack patches. Maybe I should.

I would vacate the area if I saw a Bandidos patch.

[talltex]

As long as no innocent bystanders were hurt, it sounds like a win for society.

There is no doubt that the Bandidos and many other 1% clubs are involved in drug trafficking. The Bandidos have been calling the shots since back in the 70's. That doesn't excuse the actions of the overzealous DA in McLennan County in the blanket arrest of everyone at that COC meeting, or the inaction of the police on the scene that left wounded and injured people laying on the ground without medical attention. They kept 177 people in jail for weeks with million dollar bonds charging everyone there with engaging in organized criminal activity. The majority of those people were not affiliated with the Bandidos or the Cossacks. This case is going to cost McLennan County many millions of dollars just to prosecute and many millions more in lawsuits before it's over. The DA's office has already been paying additional lawyers and staff for two years, and three Judges that have gotten involved have managed to get themselves recused and replaced by outside Judges from elsewhere, because they want to disassociate themselves from the case. The DA that filed on everyone has been recused along with several of the Assistant DA's. They are all being replaced with Special Prosecutors from outside the area, while the ones that created this mess are still drawing their salaries and watching from the sidelines. This will drag on for a long time.

[Liberty]

Meanwhile the Bandito's will be making an apearance this weekend in Galveston for the Lone Star Rally, I am locked and loaded.

[C-dub]

SOA was a television show purely for entertainment. History has done more for the reputation of many certain motorcycle gangs over the last 50 years than any fictional television show.

Some of Jeffery Dahmer's neighbors said they had nothing but good interactions with him. People are always saying how shocked they are about one person or another after some horrific event and they would never have suspected anything like that from them.

[TVGuy]

You apparently have zero clue what you are talking about. You should probably try to educate yourself a little bit before you run off at the mouth again.

The COC is, first and foremost, a motorcyclist rights advocacy group. COC dues go to help fund safety awareness campaigns like the Share the Road campaign here in Texas, as well as political advocacy against things like Motorcycle only checkpoints and other motorcycle rights issues.

You're naïve to think that the Banditos are funding the "Share the Road" campaign. That's from TxDOT. I'm in media advertising and have worked on the account. It's funded by TxDOT through grants and can be easily researched on the internet as well. They may spend some COC money on attorneys and lobbying, but they aren't paying for advertising campaigns.

[maverick2076]

You apparently have zero clue what you are talking about. You should probably try to educate yourself a little bit before you run off at the mouth again.

The COC is, first and foremost, a motorcyclist rights advocacy group. COC dues go to help fund safety awareness campaigns like the Share the Road campaign here in Texas, as well as political advocacy against things like Motorcycle only checkpoints and other motorcycle rights issues.

You're naïve to think that the Banditos are funding the "Share the Road" campaign. That's from TxDOT. I'm in media advertising and have worked on the account. It's funded by TxDOT through grants and can be easily researched on the internet as well. They may spend some COC money on attorneys and lobbying, but they aren't paying for advertising campaigns.

You need to separate the Bandidos and the COC in your mind. They are not the same thing. And the COC definitely participates in spending funds for activities related to and coinciding with the Share the Road campaign and other motorcycle awareness initiatives throughout the state.

[BBYC]

As long as no innocent bystanders were hurt, it sounds like a win for society.

There is no doubt that the Bandidos and many other 1% clubs are involved in drug trafficking. The Bandidos have been calling the shots since back in the 70's. That doesn't excuse the actions of the overzealous DA in McLennan County in the blanket arrest of everyone at that COC meeting

I was talking about the shooting. No more. No less.

Carry on.

[RPBrown]

You apparently have zero clue what you are talking about. You should probably try to educate yourself a little bit before you run off at the mouth again.

The COC is, first and foremost, a motorcyclist rights advocacy group. COC dues go to help fund safety awareness campaigns like the Share the Road campaign here in Texas, as well as political advocacy against things like Motorcycle only checkpoints and other motorcycle rights issues.

You're naïve to think that the Banditos are funding the "Share the Road" campaign. That's from TxDOT. I'm in media advertising and have worked on the account. It's funded by TxDOT through grants and can be easily researched on the internet as well. They may spend some COC money on attorneys and lobbying, but they aren't paying for advertising campaigns.

You need to separate the Bandidos and the COC in your mind. They are not the same thing. And the COC definitely participates in spending funds for activities related to and coinciding with the Share the Road campaign and other motorcycle awareness initiatives throughout the state.

I have refrained from posting again on this topic until it came back up.
First, let me say I was at a CoC meeting last month and the Bandito's were the least represented of the meeting. Cossacks were there and also under represented as have been both clubs since the Waco disaster. However, I will say that in the group that was arrested, 2 were members of BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse) 1 was a leader of CMA (Christian Motorcycle Association) and 1 that was with MRC (Masonic Riding Club). All have been released on the $1M bond. Charges have since been dropped on the rider from CMA but the members of the other 2 clubs are still awaiting trial. I know all 4, and have ridden with them all for many years. None of them are outlaw or a member of a 1% club. Just guilty because they rode a motorcycle and wore a vest irregardless of what patches the vests had on them.
What it all boils down to is profiling, just as some on here have done without knowing anything about it except what the MSM wants you to know. The sad part is that the money raised to have these 4 released could have been going toward the charities the ride with instead of bail. I would like those of you that are judgmental on this issue to find out all of the facts about the case before passing judgment on all of us that ride a motorcycle, especially if we ride with an organization.

[MechAg94]

That is what I didn't understand about the whole thing and still don't. One would think that after a few days or a few weeks they could have reviewed the camera footage and released all but those directly involved. At least narrowed the number down below 50. I keep wondering if we will eventually find out what all went down behind the scenes in that first week, but I am doubtful.

[talltex]

As long as no innocent bystanders were hurt, it sounds like a win for society.

There is no doubt that the Bandidos and many other 1% clubs are involved in drug trafficking. The Bandidos have been calling the shots since back in the 70's. That doesn't excuse the actions of the overzealous DA in McLennan County in the blanket arrest of everyone at that COC meeting

I was talking about the shooting. No more. No less.

Carry on.

I understand you were referring to those who were shot--by each other, or by the police officers (two officers I believe have already testified that they shot 4 of the 9 persons killed). However, there were many innocent bystanders that were hurt, but not shot. How would you have been affected if you were arrested and incarcerated on an "organized crime" felony charge, with $1 million bail ? Not because there was any evidence of you actually participating in the fighting or shooting, but simply because you were there. Those that couldn't come up with $100,000 to pay a bondsman sat in jail for weeks. Some lost their jobs. All of them lost personal property. They had their motorcycles seized and confiscated by the DA's office and the police department, as being used in an ongoing organized criminal activity. Many of them still face tremendous legal expenses and uncertainty about the future because the DA's office doesn't want to admit that they overreached in filing the mass charges to begin with. In my opinion, those people have been hurt terribly and unfairly.

[Beiruty]

As long as no innocent bystanders were hurt, it sounds like a win for society.

There is no doubt that the Bandidos and many other 1% clubs are involved in drug trafficking. The Bandidos have been calling the shots since back in the 70's. That doesn't excuse the actions of the overzealous DA in McLennan County in the blanket arrest of everyone at that COC meeting

I was talking about the shooting. No more. No less.

Carry on.

I understand you were referring to those who were shot--by each other, or by the police officers (two officers I believe have already testified that they shot 4 of the 9 persons killed). However, there were many innocent bystanders that were hurt, but not shot. How would you have been affected if you were arrested and incarcerated on an "organized crime" felony charge, with $1 million bail ? Not because there was any evidence of you actually participating in the fighting or shooting, but simply because you were there. Those that couldn't come up with $100,000 to pay a bondsman sat in jail for weeks. Some lost their jobs. All of them lost personal property. They had their motorcycles seized and confiscated by the DA's office and the police department, as being used in an ongoing organized criminal activity. Many of them still face tremendous legal expenses and uncertainty about the future because the DA's office doesn't want to admit that they overreached in filing the mass charges to begin with. In my opinion, those people have been hurt terribly and unfairly.

They can sue for damages.

[talltex]

They can sue for damages.

Yes they can--at some point. A large number of them are still facing a trial with no idea when that may occur. It's been two years already and the first trial-- for the president of the Dallas Bandidos chapter-- just started 2 weeks ago. That's the prosecution's biggest case and it's already had multiple delays to recuse one judge and the the DA. That's why I said previously it's already cost the county millions to get to the point of prosecuting their first case and the potential lawsuits down the road from the weak cases will cost them much more than the actual trials.

[dlh]

Sometimes prosecutors hold onto cases longer than they should. But sometimes guilty people go free. Our system is not perfect and it is always good to try to improve it but I far prefer it over what I see in North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

[carlson1]

First trial has ended in a mistrial.
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/courts_and ... 54b01.html

A mistrial was declared Friday in the trial of Jacob Carrizal, the first biker from the May 2015 Twin Peaks shootout to stand trial.

Jurors told 54th State District Judge Matt Johnson they were hopelessly deadlocked after more than 14 hours of deliberation, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial at about 2:50 p.m.

[talltex]

This case was their strongest one and they couldn't get close to a verdict. KWTX posted a story that stated one of the jurors said there were never less than six jurors that voted not guilty on any of the three counts charged. Carrizal was President of the Dallas Bandidos Chapter. Honestly, if they couldn't get a guilty verdict on a single count against him, they are wasting the taxpayers time and money going after the rest of the people indicted in this fiasco.