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Less than 20 of the 177 Waco bikers arrested after shootout still face charges
Guns.com ^ | 8/29/2015 | Jennifer Cruz

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.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: bikers; chain; copcycle; texas; waco
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To: BlueDragon

Awesome post. I had to dash out the door; so my reply was pretty lame. Thanks for nailing it down.


141 posted on 08/30/2015 3:28:35 PM PDT by don-o (I am Kenneth Carlisle - Waco 5/17/15)
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To: TexasGator

” It makes me wonder if they were shot while they were laying on the ground, trying to avoid the gunfire “

That is consistent with first hand accounts from the bikers involved that several were shot by Bandidos after being knocked to the ground.


142 posted on 08/30/2015 3:29:17 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: BlueDragon

“And what “truth” would that be? Waco PD press releases, which at that time, in the first few days after the shootings, had shifted around to some extent”

But CTH linked the source for their info.

Have seen this many times to get people duped into clicking on a false story.

Headline makes a claim: ‘police fired thousands of rounds and killed nine’.

Story references link: ‘claims police fired thousands of rounds and killed nine’

Not that many bother to go to the link ... NONE of the gangbots here did.

I did. It was a lawyer hyperbole in a lawsuit that claimed ‘GANGSTERS AND police fired thousands of rounds.

CTH say police killed NINE. No reference to the source! Perhaps that is because the source claimed the bikers started shooting.


143 posted on 08/30/2015 3:33:30 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator
A link for what? I have repeatedly asked you where the cutoff for "medium" "small" and "large" caliber is. You have responded with midrange calibers and the words "or similar", which is meaningless dreck. Prove me wrong.

Show me where .30 caliber is not considered "medium" caliber.

144 posted on 08/30/2015 3:33:37 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Smokin' Joe

“And we’ve been over the fact “

I know. Wasn’t trying to rehash that. You made a comment about not having the .223 number in the article. I was just adding what was known.


145 posted on 08/30/2015 3:36:52 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: BlueDragon

“out comes news of a civil lawsuit having been filed ——by Don Carlos restaurant ownership-— alleging police fired “thousands” of rounds. Wowsa’.”

Shame on CTH for misrepresenting the contents of the lawsuit.

Shame on FReepers for believing CTH without verifying the facts.


146 posted on 08/30/2015 3:39:00 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: don-o

“Awesome post.”

Of course, based on my posts to you, you know that his post is pure BS but the dude does need his shoulder patted ...


147 posted on 08/30/2015 3:40:24 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator

I don’t have to. If the arrests are thrown out as lacking probable cause it is automatically false imprisonment and grounds for nice big lawsuits against the city.

No probable cause = no bust.


148 posted on 08/30/2015 3:40:35 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Smokin' Joe

Show me where .30 caliber IS medium.


149 posted on 08/30/2015 3:41:12 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Spktyr

“No probable cause = no bust.”

So far ... PROBABLE CAUSE.


150 posted on 08/30/2015 3:42:00 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator

You seem to have overlooked my question so I’ll ask again-

If the caliber of the bullets has been documented in the autopsies then why have you been phrasing your comments as “could have been”?


151 posted on 08/30/2015 3:43:47 PM PDT by Pelham (Without deportation you have defacto amnesty)
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To: TexasGator
Patrick, shouldn't you be out campaigning?


152 posted on 08/30/2015 3:45:32 PM PDT by don-o (I am Kenneth Carlisle - Waco 5/17/15)
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To: TexasGator
Compared to a .223 and a .45, I'd say .30 is medium. At .308, it is almost exactly in the middle.

I continue pointing out that "medium" may not be confined to .38/9mm or .40 caliber projectiles. In the absence of ballistic data, any assumptions about what the coroner meant by "medium" are useless.

153 posted on 08/30/2015 3:46:01 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Smokin' Joe

*cough cough*


154 posted on 08/30/2015 3:48:05 PM PDT by Salamander ('Cause We're All Kinds Of Animals Coming Here. [Occasional Demons, Too])
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To: House Atreides

I’ve always wondered what keeps his skin so freakishly taut.

I’d reckoned it just Botox.

/sitting with the subhumans


155 posted on 08/30/2015 3:51:23 PM PDT by Salamander ('Cause We're All Kinds Of Animals Coming Here. [Occasional Demons, Too])
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To: House Atreides

All typed one-handed, no less.


156 posted on 08/30/2015 3:52:55 PM PDT by Salamander ('Cause We're All Kinds Of Animals Coming Here. [Occasional Demons, Too])
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To: TexasGator

Yeah, you just love it when you get a chance to circulate as much "false" misrepresentation of scattered items as you can. This, we know.

A handful here were taken in by the misleading headline of this thread (even without your assistance) but that was discussed yesterday, and provided correction towards, in that sufficient warning was supplied, curiously enough without any input from yourself. How did FreeRepublic manage so long without you?

This thread should have been deleted, the OP requested that it be, long before you showed up.

If it had been deleted as requested, then groundless gloating would have been circular filed also.

Yet your own gloating still relies upon how well DA's will be able to argue by way of assertion and innuendo, much as you have as your own basis for argumentative (and perhaps more fundamental being & existence also) in order to make the cookie cutter charges stick, onto each cookie.

We'll see how some of those may crumble, and how many may fairly roll off back into the big wide open. Truth would most likely set a significant number of them free, possible even far more than hold prisoner, if actual truth could have it's way and be known.

You address that to me? Shirley, you jest.

People have responded, and defended themselves and others, and you've continued to be a real pain. a veritable wagon-load of butthurt, freely spreading the joy of your misery wherever near Waco you go.

On another note, least you gloat to yourself that I have left loose end dangling (like a lit fuses of your tampon) I've covered the issues of the faulty headline at CTH, addressing one last point which you still had butthurt about, with another here, other than yourself.

Though I will leave you this; if you want something out of others, here and elsewhere too, then you must be willing to give something worthwhile in return. You've had chances for that, but fail each time. I am sorry to learn of your bankruptcy, in this manner. I'm sure it must be painful.

So here you go Princess, I think you need this more than anyone, today, and last month, and the one before too. Perhaps think of it as a flattened cotton pony, which you can ride off into the sunset upon;

When the fields needed to best describe the pain you've been experiencing have been filled, for most effective reply, send straight to the most primary sources for cause of your sufferings. I'm glad we've been able to help winnow those out.

Though I cannot assure you that there would be prompt reply, send completed form(s) to;

Not being able to find address for Conservative Tree House, you could possibly contact them through their own comments forum, though I must leave how you might best be able to submit copy of the form to them, for you to figure out on your own. My apologies.

Hope you feel better soon. As I noted previous, while we share your pain, there's no need to be so generous with your undying efforts & concern. No really, 'we're good', all set. We have enough, are sufficiently well supplied with the pain you've so freely shared, so to speak, already.

157 posted on 08/30/2015 4:29:41 PM PDT by BlueDragon (...and you could bet the tobacco they grow in Peking & Your Gold Teeth, on that...)
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To: BlueDragon
You mean they were not -- and that was actually clear to all, a mere three, to four days after the occurrence?

Just like CTH, you are making that statement in the absence of any facts and in direct contradiction of the statement of bikers at the scene.

Ironically enough the same contributor to CTH posted another piece blasting the Washington Post for using one source for a description of the shooting. This as opposed to his CTH articles which use one second hand account to come up with completely unfounded conclusions.

http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2015/05/23/follow-up-report-eye-witness-account-of-waco-twin-peaks-shooting-origin/

I personally would doubt any statement taken from a Cossack, with the exception of one very important issue. If the police were doing all of the killing, why do two different Cossacks give the same account of the first three Cossacks getting shot by Bandidos? Why wouldn't they they tell the truth?

158 posted on 08/30/2015 4:50:18 PM PDT by USNBandit (Sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: Smokin' Joe

“I continue pointing out that “medium” may not be confined to .38/9mm or .40 caliber projectiles.”

And I continue to point out that you have provided NOTHING but your opinion.


159 posted on 08/30/2015 5:19:14 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: BlueDragon

“Yeah, you just love it when you get a chance to circulate as much “false” misrepresentation of scattered items as you can. This, we know.”

Hey! I am not the one that posted the misleading articles!


160 posted on 08/30/2015 5:20:29 PM PDT by TexasGator
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