Posted on 08/29/2015 6:17:21 PM PDT by Elderberry
The Texas Court of Appeals has determined over the last week that officials had probable cause in only five of the 177 arrests following a shootout between two rival biker gangs and local, state and federal authorities outside of a Waco restaurant in May, with just over a dozen more cases set to be reviewed over the next two weeks.
Among those still facing charges are a Bandidos chaplain and a husband and wife. Officials also found probable cause against Bandidos members Marcus Pilkington, 36, and Reginald Weathers, 43, who ascertain they are “being illegally confined” and authorities lack sufficient evidence to prove they engaged in organized criminal activity the day of the shootout, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported.
Nine men were killed during the exchange of gunfire that day and another 20 were injured. Authorities confiscated more than 475 weapons, including 151 firearms. No innocent civilians or law enforcement were injured during the shootout.
The incident remains under investigation, which is headed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but a great deal of questions still remain, including who fired the fatal shots, which authorities have yet to disclose. However, Waco Police Chief Brent Stroman confirmed in June that a total of 12 rounds were fired by three Waco officers that day, leaving the remaining rounds at the hands of either the bikers or state and federal authorities.
At last count, 44 shell casings were recovered from the scene, including multiple .223 rounds, but ballistics evidence has not been made public at this time, despite the fact that autopsy reports were already released earlier this month, including vague descriptions of the injury-causing projectiles.
Weathers said the whole incident unfolded over a dispute about a parking space and a perceived act of disrespect, but while the melee initially involved the bikers, it’s unknown when authorities engaged.
According to Weathers, he and more than a dozen other members were outside of the Twin Peaks restaurant, while numerous members of the Cossacks, a rival biker gang, were near the patio area. A member of the Cossacks allegedly yelled at Bandidos club President David Martinez, saying he could not park in a particular space, but Weathers said he had not even pulled into the space at that point. Weathers, feeling his club president had been disrespected, then told the Cossacks member not to talk to his president that way, to which that member responded by punching Weathers in the face, he alleges.
Weathers said he covered his face in a defensive stance, but was soon pushed to the ground. Moments later, he heard gunshots, what he described as a “double tap.” Weathers was shot in the arm, but admitted that he did not know where the first shots came from because he was engaged in a fight with other bikers at the time.
Weathers said altogether the entire incident only lasted about four or five minutes.
IBTG!
Why can’t professional writers write? It’s “FEWER than. . .” not “LESS than.” Jeez.
IBTG!
*************************************
If the ‘TG’ means what I think it means, you win the reward for creativity. LOL
The other 150 should file a law suit for wrongul prosecution and Nifong those bastards
That is key. It is hard to conceal an M4.
-—The incident remains under investigation, which is headed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,
but a great deal of questions still remain,
including who fired the fatal shots,
which authorities have yet to disclose.
However, Waco Police Chief Brent Stroman confirmed in June that a total of 12 rounds were fired by three Waco officers that day,
leaving the remaining rounds at the hands of either
the bikers
or state and federal authorities.
TG ... if it is who I think it is ... is probably the biggest jackboot licker on FR. He also has the opinion that anyone who rides a bike ... especially if they belong to a club ... American Legion Riders ... Patriot Riders ETC are all drug dealing criminals and deserve to die in a LE ambush such was Waco.
A state authority with a vested interest is doing the investigation.
Hmmmmm, if this is true there are some Freepers who will be saddened by the news. Texas Gator for one.
Really? Where is the proof of that?
Where does this jurisdiction decision come from? To date we have been led to believe that it's all the City of Waco.
This doesn’t look right... like maybe they’re confusing the Examining Trials with Grand Juries or something.
If an appeals court totally dropped charges on 150 arrestees, it would be all over the news.
What I want to know about is when are the first indictments and arrests occur of trigger happy law enforcement that appears to have committed a massacre. I presume they have delayed release of information so the can still try to bury it, make up new evidence, etc.
This news is gonna make FR’s resident Biker hater cry.
This sounds like great news. Now if someone can get the preacher and his wife free, that would be even better.
Way to go guys. I’ll have a cold one for you all tonight.
That’s one claim that they’ll have Hell proving.
This is a stupid article. Yes, only five cases were ruled on and affirmed that probable cause did exist. (Cough.)
Not all 177 requested an examining trial and some who had then withdrew them.
“What I want to know about is when are the first indictments and arrests occur of trigger happy law enforcement that appears to have committed a massacre. I presume they have delayed release of information so the can still try to bury it, make up new evidence, etc.”
Your thoughts mirror mine. I doubt if any bikers were armed with weapons that utilize the .223 (even a .223 SBR isn’t a pocket weapon). So if all the deaths are due to .223 wounds, the LEOs have got some real splainin to do. The other thing that the Whacko PD needs to tell us is the caliber of the casings they found that are “theirs,” and how they’ve identified them. The longer this goes on the worse it’s going to be when the truth is finally told. The bikers have some good lawyers.
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