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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: House Atreides

Little “red boots” probably works for the BATF.


201 posted on 08/31/2015 1:21:48 PM PDT by Osage Orange (Q. What do Eskimos get from sitting on the ice too long? A: Polaroids.)
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To: mac_truck

“Of course evidence was presented at each hearing, that’s how we know a Bandidos “chaplain” transported a carload of rifles and handguns to the Twin Peaks parking lot.”

He is probably thinking that he should have kept his day job.

Performing as a weapons hauler to a gun war is going to get the dude some serious time.


202 posted on 08/31/2015 1:23:03 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: House Atreides; kiryandil; shibumi

This crap is being “sanctioned” by the FR powers that be?

Hmmmm.

Interesting.


203 posted on 08/31/2015 1:23:05 PM PDT by Salamander ('Cause We're All Kinds Of Animals Coming Here. [Occasional Demons, Too])
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To: JJ_Folderol
If an appeals court totally dropped charges on 150 arrestees, it would be all over the news.

This story should be National News....but white biker lives don't matter!

204 posted on 08/31/2015 1:23:52 PM PDT by Osage Orange (Q. What do Eskimos get from sitting on the ice too long? A: Polaroids.)
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To: House Atreides

“Agreed. But he (or another of the BATF defender-deflector-apologist trolls) apparently whined to the “Principle” and my comments now are reviewed prior to posting. Plus, I’m now suddenly not allowed to “private reply” because I’m “too new”. Go figure.”

What did you post that got deleted?


205 posted on 08/31/2015 1:24:58 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: mac_truck
If you've got a problem with how he markets his wallet chains take it up with him.

No, he can say whatever to whatever person willing to believe it. There is one born every minute.

As for altering my statement, I did not need your so-called "correction".

I said what I meant to say, no more and no less.

206 posted on 08/31/2015 1:29:52 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: TexasGator
Thank you for the information. The writer says ‘usually’. The Waco ME designated one as ‘MEDIUM/LARGE’. I think that would most likely be a .40.

I think I will wait for more definitive ballistics data.

207 posted on 08/31/2015 1:31:08 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

I am still not following why it makes a difference whether the ‘medium’ includes the .40?


208 posted on 08/31/2015 1:44:07 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator
If the .40 is considered "large", then the 7.62 round likely could be considered "medium". Anyone there using the .300 blackout round in their rifle, in the absence of other ballistics data, could have shot those who had "medium" caliber wounds.

In all reality, none of the subjective measurements by the coroner matter one whit without ballistics data.

209 posted on 08/31/2015 1:53:13 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

“If the .40 is considered “large”, then the 7.62 round likely could be considered “medium”. Anyone there using the .300 blackout round in their rifle, in the absence of other ballistics data, could have shot those who had “medium” caliber wounds. “

Ok. Only this ME used the term ‘medium/large’ indicating something less than .44 or he is not sure enough to notate more accurately.

If the first, I would expect him to use similar terminology (small/medium) for anything significantly less than .38 like .30.

I the second, we have no clue.

However, the conspiracy theory you have posted should be forwarded to Obama so he can send in the feds to monitor Waco police.


210 posted on 08/31/2015 2:31:44 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator

What conspiracy theory did I post? Please link it.


211 posted on 08/31/2015 2:35:49 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

What conspiracy theory did I post? Please link it.

#210: “Anyone there using the .300 blackout round in their rifle, in the absence of other ballistics data, could have shot those who had “medium” caliber wounds. “


212 posted on 08/31/2015 2:44:38 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator

” those who had “medium” caliber wounds.”

The wounds were not designated ‘medium’. The recovered bullets were.


213 posted on 08/31/2015 2:45:56 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Smokin' Joe; TexasGator
What conspiracy theory did I post? Please link it.

What's really ironic is that the paranoid conspiracy nuts on this board are the ones who actually believe that ordinary law-abiding American bikers armed with wallet chains, nail clippers, and legal firearms, conspired to commit murder and mayhem.

Only a wildly nutso conspiracy theorist could believe that the vast majority of these dangerous "criminals" are so wily and professional as to have ZILCH police or arrest histories in spite of the fact that said police are "wise" to the inside meanings of these mysterious criminal biker "gang" patches and insignia.

The ONLY real conspiracy theorists here, are the ones who believe the line of crap that LEO is claiming about the folks arrested at Waco.

Texas Gator, for example, is a conspiracy theorist. But because his conspiracy theory is the same one advanced by government officials in law enforcement, he doesn't even think of it as a conspiracy.

Those of us, on the other hand, with enough real-life experience to realize that our leg is being pissed on instead of rained on, are accused of being "conspiracy theorists" because we know the difference between water and piss.

214 posted on 08/31/2015 3:02:17 PM PDT by Finny (Be ready to own what you vote for. Voting "against" is imaginary.)
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To: Finny
From what I have seen, sometimes a conspiracy is just a conspiracy.

The jail there (50 million dollar bond issue) was supposed to be a private venture (for profit). There had been concern about the viability of the facility. After all, there were 177 vacancies, and at $1 million per detainee, they were going to fill them for a while.

Ka-ching!

Seldom does one who privately posts bond get the full amount back, often there are 'fees' assessed against the returned bond, or the person who puts up surety and cash for a bondsman will pay a fee for the service. Either way, Ka-ching!

Of course, having such a well ballyhooed 'criminal biker gang' problem can lead to gobs of anti-gang task force and other Federal funding (need I say, "Ka-Ching!"?)

More toys, more people, task forces, workshops, full jail, promotions, awards, raises, money, money, money...

I might observe that the loss of freedom doesn't begin in the middle of Main Street in broad daylight, but on the darkened back alleys of society, away from the Country Club and Golf Course, along the easily demonized fringes of any culture. Those not understood by most are most easily treated as the cause of Society's evils, and least likely to get full faith and credit under any legal system.

Sadly, the most foul deeds are done in broad daylight by well dressed men with the approval of the society around them.

215 posted on 08/31/2015 3:15:10 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: Finny

” those who had “medium” caliber wounds. “

LOL!

From the dude that thinks the Bandidos are a Sunday-go-to-church crowd ...

Oh, that’s right, the gangs call their headquarters ‘the church’.

The gangs get a ‘pastor’ to carry their arsenal to the gang wars.

I guess we can say they are good ‘church’ goers but can we say that they are good family men?

YEP! The club becomes their ‘family’. Wives and kids become third rate people.


216 posted on 08/31/2015 3:30:50 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Smokin' Joe

“More toys, more people, task forces, workshops,”

Yes. The bikers are going to have to work overtime on their ‘toy runs’ and ‘park renovations’ inorder to get people to forget about this one big gang fight.


217 posted on 08/31/2015 3:32:35 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Smokin' Joe
If you've posted a conspiracy theory as Gator charges (if he made the same charge of me, it would be true), more power to you.

Gator, like any competent shill or manipulator, seeks to put his opponents on defense, when HE is the one who should be defending his own wacky conspiracy theories, far wackier than the idea that run-amok corrupt trigger-happy militarized cops and tyrannical Feds are happy to mess with the biggest demographic of veteran, pro-Constitution, pro-2nd Amendment, anti-Obama Americans in the country who thunder through DC by the tens of thousands on July 4th and 9-11 with flags fluttering and fists raised in solidarity.

Conspiracies have existed among government authorities and officials since man became civilized enough to form governments. The WACKY thing is to think American government in 2015 is somehow immune.

For Texas Gator to snicker at anyone for having a "conspiracy theory" is like an over-stuffed pincushion to snicker at a cactus for being prickly.

218 posted on 08/31/2015 3:33:16 PM PDT by Finny (Be ready to own what you vote for. Voting "against" is imaginary.)
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To: Smokin' Joe

“Sadly, the most foul deeds are done in broad daylight by well dressed men with the approval of the society around them.”

I guess they were well dressed. Most had on there best colors and bikes were polished. But I am not sure that society approves of gun fights at family plazas on Sunday afternoons.


219 posted on 08/31/2015 3:34:28 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Smokin' Joe

“If the .40 is considered “large”, then the 7.62 round likely could be considered “medium”.”

So would a .32. And the word is that at least one biker was firing a .32


220 posted on 08/31/2015 4:32:40 PM PDT by TexasGator
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