Posted on 05/26/2015 11:21:01 AM PDT by pabianice
Edited on 05/26/2015 11:51:59 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Nine people were killed and 18 people were injured Sunday in a motorcycle gang gunfight outside a restaurant in Waco, Texas.
Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton described the incident to local media, thusly, It is one of the most violent scenes Ive seen in my 34 years as a police officer in Waco.
Yikes! It was an apparent bloodbath at Twin Peaks, the name of the restaurant. Police recovered over 100 weapons from the surrounding area, including chains, clubs, knives and guns. And at least 165 people were arrested, the majority of which have ties to five different biker gangs. Thankfully, no civilians or police were injured or killed.
Needless to say, it was quite the crime scene. And it got me thinking, what can one learn from this scenario? Well, here are five lessons to take away:
1. Avoid Large Groups of Nefarious Characters
Based on reports, it appeared that the establishment was a known biker hangout. And that the dispute may have been over a parking spot. Maybe its just me, but I dont want to go to a place where one is bound to get killed over a stupid parking space.
What I mean to say is that, yeah, Ive watched the television show Sons of Anarchy. And yeah, motorcycle gangs are cool in theory (i.e. in cinema, on TV) but that doesnt mean I want to be around one in real life. Same holds true for mobsters or any other group of shady individuals. When possible, steer clear of folks with a bad reputation. If you know where they congregate, dont go there. Go to Applebees instead.
2. Leave Before the Trouble Starts
Duh! This is a no-brainer that goes hand and hand with number one. Assuming you dont know the area and end up going to a place that feels off (your spidey senses start tingling), leave.
Think about it. Pretend for a moment youre eating lunch with your family at Twin Peaks and all of a sudden hordes of bikers pull up to the restaurant. Do you stick around to see what happens? What kind of food they order? Nope. Not a chance. Perhaps on a normal day or by the numbers, 9 out of 10 times, nothing will happen. But do you really want to be around for that 10th time? Dont think so. Grab the check from the waitress, a few to-go boxes and skedaddle.
3. Assume Everyone is Armed
Maybe Im weird, but I go through life assuming almost everyone is armed. Not babies, but everyone else. Its a prepare for the worse but hope for the best type of mentality. So, if Im in a crowded situation, Im always concerned about (a) Who is behind me? and (b) Where are the exits?
If there are people behind me, chances are theyre going to beat me to the draw because I cant see them. Therefore, I want to know how many there are at my six and if/where I can situate myself to minimize exposure to them. Just makes sense. Get to a place were you can hopefully see everyone. Now, its not always possible, but when it can be done, do it.
With respect to the exits, you never know when a situation will pop off, so to speak. But when it does, it often happens very quickly, in which case you want to move out of the danger zone or line of fire as fast as possible. Without knowing exactly where and how far away the exits are, this will be a problem. Always search for and find the exits.
4. Numbers Matter
Look, I may have a handgun on me with a couple of extra magazines, but in a situation where there are hundreds of people with various weapons, Im not only outgunned, Im outnumbered. Im already starting at a great disadvantage. In this scenario, flight over fight is ultimately the best strategy for surviving.
5. Dont Get Involved.
If someone at the grocery store or at a restaurant takes my parking space, I might bitch to my girlfriend about it in the privacy of our vehicle but I ultimately let it go. I dont let the minor offense ruin my day. Overall, I tend to ignore rude people. Life is so much better this way.
Id highly suggest everyone adopt this mindset. Ignore rudeness. Dont get involved in a confrontation over something trivial, e.g. a parking spot. Ask yourself this, are you willing to die for it? If not, let it go and dont get involved.
Conclusion
So there you have it, five lessons one can learn (or help be reminded of) from the biker gunfight in Waco, Texas: avoid sketchy people, leave before trouble starts, assume everyone is armed, assess the relative size of the threat, and dont get involved unless you absolutely have to.
Ok, #5 is there, just missing a number...duly noted.
Even grungy looking bikers in tattered clothes can have a fairly sophisticated PR team and plenty of bucks to spend on it.
This is the face of the Cartel American Style.
I’m reminded of the Waco DEA debacle daily. The tank used sits less than a quarter mile of my business in front of the American Legion Building.
LOL
Correction, Waco ATF debacle.
I learned “GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT”.
Yeah, I did too. Refer to Rule #1.
One thing I’ve taught my kids is to stay away from places where alcohol is the main attraction and purpose.
Years ago the city fathers removed the letter “K” from the name so no one would understand what kind of place it is.
Dang.
I expected an article from Guns America would be all about praising the poor biker victims and blasting the scum cops who massacred these heroes as they shot them in the back.
We
Ain’t
Coming
Out.
Heck my life is ultra-boring. Sounds fun to me.
Was that charge ever proven..?? Or was that just government propaganda to help Janet Reno cover her most gargantuan behind.....?
Was he talking about klintoon, the ugly lesbian Reno and the ATF burning children?
#7 would be, don’t stand outside in the parking lot shooting at the SWAT cops who are armed with automatic weapons and full body armor.
I think it stopped short of burning them. That was left to the Feds.
Some people just like the taste of licking jackboots.
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