Plus, you don’t negotiate “peace” unless there’s already a “war”, so yeah, it’s not adding up.
It didn't add up to some of the Cossacks. One prospect who had formerly been a Bandido, allegedly having told a two-year Cossack MC member that he didn't like the sound of it.
And where was Waco PD? All set up, with cameras and obviously pre-planned positioning for them to be able to lay down crossfire enfilade.
There was some degree of pressure to settle things peacefully --- if there was a chance of it happening, with it seeming to me that if there had been enough Bandidos, with enough pull to get yet other Bandidos to back off, and not concern themselves with what Cossacks and others were doing, then that could have been a significant, positive development.
That kind of consideration could go a ways towards exonerating Waco PD for having extended the invite, wouldn't it?
What potentially clashes with that, which seems jarring to me however, is the claim on the part of Waco PD that they attempted to get the Twin Peaks management to call the whole thing off. Although they may have, like hedging their bets on trying to get everything called off, while having also urged a Cossack chapter president to attend. Its possible that Waco PD wasn't 100% coordinated in what they were doing, too, which is par for the course in regards to human interactions, generally speaking.
What was that Cossack chapter president guy supposed to do, though? Go by himself, or with just a few others, where he knew that a half a hundred or more Bandidos were likely to be?
Or say to Waco PD -- no --- I won't take a chance on doing what you asked me to, and work at trying to ratchet down what tensions there were?
Think about it.
And where was Waco PD? All set up, with cameras and obviously pre-planned positioning for them to be able to lay down crossfire enfilade. IF and a BIG IF, one believes Stroman statement that has been scrubbed from Waco PD facebook his men were sitting in their cars when the first shots were fired. I believe DPS says they fired nothing. I don't know that BATFE has given any account at all.
Richard Luther claims that he saw marked and unmarked vehicles behind the Don Carlos and in the parking lot a football field away. Affidavits submitted in property seizure hearings testify to escalating tensions and deliberate and ominous movements. I suspect (speculate) that these affidavits were produced from viewing video; not from observation in real time.
There is no indication that anything was done by Waco PD, or anyone, to de-escalate. How could they (if Stroman is telling the truth?)
I suspect (speculate) this was a Fed operation from the get go with Waco PD playing Barney Fife to the Big Boys and Barney got left holding the bag.
And now Renya is on the hook to sort it out as best he can.
“What was that Cossack chapter president guy supposed to do, though?”
If the Cossacks were just law abiding citizens like you seem to think, they should have not gone to where they knew there were a bunch of criminals who wanted to him them. Duh.
“There was some degree of pressure to settle things peacefully -—”
Cops said they saw Cossacks ‘checking their weapons’ as the Bandidos rode in.
A Cossack observed all the cops and felt that the Bandidos would not try anything serious with all the cops around.
A Bandido throws a punch.
STOP!
1. If you want peace you act like an adult.
2. If you want war you all rush to attack the Bandidos.
The Cossacks chose #2.