Posted on 03/11/2016 6:19:39 AM PST by don-o
As part of the ongoing investigation surrounding the shootout at a Waco, Texas, Twin Peaks restaurant last May that left nine dead and 20 wounded after two rival biker clubs and multiple law enforcement agencies clashed, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have wrapped up its portion of the investigation, which focused on firearms.
Altogether, federal authorities gathered information from 151 firearms confiscated from members of both biker clubs, in addition to casings and bullet fragments. Among the information collected by the ATF was whether any of the guns could be traced back to previous crimes, as well as where and to whom the gun purchase originated and who possessed the firearm on the day of the shooting.
While details surrounding the case are still somewhat scarce, the ATF confirmed that most of the bikers’ guns they collected and reviewed had not been fired, according to a report by the Houston Chronicle.
“We are just processing it for them; we are not making investigation decisions,” said Nicole Strong, Special Agent with the ATF’s Houston Division. “Now it is up to the police department to determine what they do with that information.”
During the initial investigation, authorities recovered a total of 44 spent shell casings. Of those, 12 were previously confirmed to be .223-caliber casings, presumably from police-issued rifles. The Waco Police Department confirmed the officers from their department who fired shots that day are on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation, which could likely be lengthy. However, the department has not revealed how many officers are currently on leave.
Witnesses claim the incident started over one of the restaurant’s parking spaces and an apparent feeling of disrespect toward one of the group’s leaders. But what started as a brawl eventually led to gunfire. However, it is still unknown at this time who – among both law enforcement and bikers – fired first, who was an aggressor and who may have acted in self-defense.
After the shooting, the number of weapons recovered was reported to be close to 500, but that number was later reduced to around 300, about half of which are firearms. Other weapons recovered included “knives, brass knuckles, batons, tomahawks, weighted weapons, a hatchet, stun guns, bats, clubs, a machete, a pipe, an ax, pepper spray, and a chain,” according to a statement released by the Waco Police Department about month after the shootout.
Currently, 106 bikers have been indicted and face various charges for engaging in organized crime, with charges against additional bikers expected to come at a later date. The indictments have not been made public and a court-issued gag order prevents anyone involved from disclosing any details about the case.
IBTG
I’d say that certain of the authorities know exactly who started the shootout. The wall of silence says a lot.
************
As does processing only firearms from the restaurant patrons and not the police despite 12 of the casings being from police rifles.
**RESPECT MAH AUTHORITAH!!**
Of the 151 firearms confiscated, how many were illegal?
Hint: It’s a trick question.
Did they lose another steel door?
There are no "illegal" firearms. They're just "undocumented".
With this giant clusterf**k, convicting anybody of anything is going to be nearly impossible.
Last I looked all of those charged with homicide didn’t have any name(s) of a deceased person in the complaint.
That is a very good catch that I missed.
Looks like Ms. Cruz wants to be in the running for this year's award for Mistress of the Understatement.
Not sure who started it? Let me help them out a bit. It wasn’t the bikers. Now using process of elimination they should be able to figure it out now.
Waco is going to pay these clowns to sit on their butts for years. Some may never have to actually work again yet continue to collect their paychecks.
Nice work if you can get it.
Waco, is this they way your government is supposed to act? Obfuscate, deny, Lie, delay......
Cool. They accuse people of murder, but can’t come up with any victim. Fearless forecast: none of the defendants will be convicted of murder or manslaughter.
12 casings are .223. Nine dead. Easily enough right there for the police to have killed all nine people. AR15 rifles are very easy to hit with at short range and very likely fatal with a center mass hit.
“Not sure who started it? Let me help them out a bit. It wasn’t the bikers.”
Revelations from a biker, Cody Ledbetter, who was involved in the initial confrontation.
The clubs, farm teams for the Bandidos, wore black leather motorcycle vests with patches of red and gold - the colors of the Bandidos - to show their allegiance.
The riders kept coming. Too many.
“We’re done,” Ledbetter thought to himself.
He threw a punch at a Cossack who went by the nickname “Chain.” Chain dodged it, threw a punch of his own. The biker then whipped out a handgun, pressed it to Chain’s chest and pulled the trigger.
Chain fell to the pavement.
He was the first to die.
“What the hell?” Ledbetter thought. The man had pulled out a gun at a fistfight.
From the autopsies last year.
Manuel Issac Rodriguez, 40, Allen, one gunshot wound in the head and one in the back. Head: Medium Caliber NOT from police .223; Back: Medium Caliber NOT from police .223
Matthew Mark Smith, 27, Keller, one gunshot wound in the back and one in the abdomen.
Back: Medium Caliber NOT from police .223; Abdomen: Not Determined
Jesus Delgado Rodriguez, 65, New Braunfels, one gunshot wound to the head and one in the back. Head: Medium Caliber NOT from police .223; Trunk: Undertermined
Richard Matthew Jordan II, 31, Pasadena, one gunshot wound to the head. Head: Medium Caliber NOT from police .223
Richard Vincent Kirschner Jr., 47, Wylie, one gunshot wound to the top of the head, one to the left knee and one in the buttocks. Knee: Medium Caliber NOT from police .223; Buttocks: Small Caliber .223 or .22
Wayne Lee Campbell, 43, Fort Worth, one gunshot wound to the head. Trunk: Small Caliber .223 or .22
Daniel Raymond Boyett, 44, Waco, shot two times in the head. Head: Medium Caliber NOT from police .223; Abdomen: Medium Caliber NOT from police .223; Head: Undetermined
Charles Wayne Russell, 46, Tyler, shot once in the chest. Chest: Small Caliber .223 or .22
Jacob Lee Rhyne, 39, Ranger, shot once in the neck and once in the abdomen.Neck: Undertermined; Abdomen: Undetermined
Spaz. Arm: Not Available ... yet!
“I’d say that certain of the authorities know exactly who started the shootout. The wall of silence says a lot. “
It is common knowledge.
He threw a punch at a Cossack who went by the nickname “Chain.” Chain dodged it, threw a punch of his own. The biker then whipped out a handgun, pressed it to Chain’s chest and pulled the trigger.
Chain fell to the pavement.
He was the first to die.
“What the hell?” Ledbetter thought. The man had pulled out a gun at a fistfight.
Cossacks dove for cover and tumbled all over each other as they rushed for the safety of Twin Peaks.
Ledbetter landed in a pile of people. Everyone was yelling.
He watched his father dive to the pavement and seek cover between two bikes. Tucked in the back of Diesel’s waistband was a pistol, one he legally carried, but he never drew it.
A man with a handgun came and stood over him. He wore a motorcycle vest with the name of some club that begins with the letters “VA,” and Ledbetter said he also wore a baseball cap, turned backward, that read, “Support Your Local Bandidos.”
“Take this, (expletive),” he screamed. He fired twice into Diesel’s head.
Ledbetter could hardly process what he was seeing.
Then came more gunfire from Bandidos’ supporters, as well as police, who seemed to instantly be on the scene. Ledbetter saw at least one Cossack, nicknamed “Side Track,” fire back at the rival bikers, but he was quickly killed.
“Dog” was shot by the same guy who shot Diesel. In other cases, Ledbetter is not sure who fired the shots.
Oh and medium caliber would include 9mm and .40 S&W. Both Law enforcement calibers.
It's been a year and they still can't go to trial. It's pretty clear why.
Officers that fired their weapons are on administrative leave after a year. If these shootings were defensible they would be back on the job but take a hint. They will never will be.
“Texasgator: You need to give up trying to defend the indefensible.
Oh and medium caliber would include 9mm and .40 S&W. Both Law enforcement calibers.”
From a biker that was in the thick of it all:
He threw a punch at a Cossack who went by the nickname “Chain.” Chain dodged it, threw a punch of his own. The biker then whipped out a handgun, pressed it to Chain’s chest and pulled the trigger.
Chain fell to the pavement.
He was the first to die.
“What the hell?” Ledbetter thought. The man had pulled out a gun at a fistfight.
Cossacks dove for cover and tumbled all over each other as they rushed for the safety of Twin Peaks.
Ledbetter landed in a pile of people. Everyone was yelling.
He watched his father dive to the pavement and seek cover between two bikes. Tucked in the back of Diesel’s waistband was a pistol, one he legally carried, but he never drew it.
A man with a handgun came and stood over him. He wore a motorcycle vest with the name of some club that begins with the letters “VA,” and Ledbetter said he also wore a baseball cap, turned backward, that read, “Support Your Local Bandidos.”
“Take this, (expletive),” he screamed. He fired twice into Diesel’s head.
Ledbetter could hardly process what he was seeing.
Then came more gunfire from Bandidos’ supporters, as well as police, who seemed to instantly be on the scene. Ledbetter saw at least one Cossack, nicknamed “Side Track,” fire back at the rival bikers, but he was quickly killed.
“Dog” was shot by the same guy who shot Diesel. In other cases, Ledbetter is not sure who fired the shots.
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