Laconia chief says shooting proves his stance on biker unrest

Union Leader ^ | June 30 2002 | PAT HAMMOND

[2Trievers]

Laconia’s embattled Police Chief Bill Baker yesterday fired a verbal shot against politicians, businessmen and the New Hampshire Supreme Court in the wake of the shooting of two “Hells Angels prospects” in the early morning hours.

The men arrived at Lakes Region General Hospital at 3:20 a.m. after being shot from behind while motorcycling on Route 106 between Loudon and Laconia.

Laconia police, who were called to the hospital, said the State Police knew the two men. Laconia Police, however, did not have information on their names, ages or places of residence.

Laconia Police Sgt. John MacLennan said the two are “more mature than teenagers” and live in New Hampshire.

The men were treated at the emergency room and released at 10 a.m. yesterday after cooperating with the State Police investigation of the incident by turning over their clothing, a Laconia Police Department news release said. The men agreed to provide statements after consulting with their legal counsel, police said.

Laconia Police Chief Bill Baker was quoted in the release as saying “the shooting is compelling evidence of the turbulence that exists in a world perhaps better understood by Law Enforcement than by some politicians and businessmen or Supreme Court members.”

“This is precisely the kind of scenario we tried to prevent during the nine days of Motorcycle Week,” Baker said. “Perhaps the timing of the unfortunate victimization of these two men is evidence of how successful we were.”

It is rare that police officials state their own convictions in an official press release, and even less usual for them to use a release as a vehicle for criticizing officials and other members of the community.

But Baker has been outspoken in his denunciation of the state and/or city officials he blames for overturning his attempts to enforce order during Motorcycle Week this month — he wanted to deny vending permits for the Hells Angels and to declare a gun-free zone in the Weirs.

The city’s Licensing Board decision to deny vending permits for the Hells Angels was overturned by the state Supreme Court. The gun-free zone was nixed by the city’s attorney, who said it probably wouldn’t survive a court challenge.

Laura Kiernan, spokesman for the Supreme Court Justices, said yesterday that the court would not be commenting on Baker’s remarks.

Laconia Mayor Mark Fraser said he agreed with Baker that, “the city was fortunate that nothing did occur during Motorcycle Week.”

“But,” Fraser said, “I don’t know whether you can ‘armchair-quarterback’ that anything was a success or not. You never know when it’s going to happen, or where it’s going to happen.

“That’s why the city, as did the state, took some steps to make sure it did not happen when we had so many guests,” Fraser said, referring to the 79th annual Motorcycle Week, June 8-16.

“We were fortunate in those nine days,” Fraser said. “I have said we wouldn’t change what we did.”

Fraser was asked if the absence of violence during this year’s Motorcycle Week might not be indicative of the level of police presence.

“Some of the things we have done, in terms of local and state law enforcement, were a deterrent,” Fraser said. “But I want to emphasize this (yesterday morning’s shootings on Route 106) could happen anytime, anywhere.”

Charlie St. Clair is executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association. He said he agreed with Chief Baker that public safety did a good job during Motorcycle Week.

But, he said, the shootings yesterday signify that the safety concerns raised by people who were worried about Motorcycle Week violence are really year-round concerns.

“The amount of public safety people we had in the area almost negates something like this happening (during Motorcycle Week),” St. Clair said.

“But I would disagree with the chief,” St. Clair said, that this type of incident is needed to show the potential for violence.

“The difference in opinion,” St. Clair said, “is over what can you do to prevent it. My answer is, we need to stop pussyfooting around with people known to be involved in this type of activity and prosecute them to the full extent of the law — but I believe that about any act of violence.”

“It appears as though they were shot from the back,” Laconia Police Sgt. MacLennan said, “and that they were both on motorcycles. The positioning of the wounds and the general angle of how the bullet entered the body would be consistent with being shot while sitting on a motorcycle, and they were moving,” he said.

“They were somewhere between Laconia and Loudon,” MacLennan said. “It is believed that each sustained one wound and that either they drove themselves or someone else drove them to the hospital in a car.”

“They were shot with firearms, believed to be handgun-type ammunition,” MacLennan said.

Asked what was the caliber of the bullets removed from the men, MacLennan said, “It would be inaccurate to say bullets were removed from them at this point.”

“We are not assuming if it was one shooter or if the shooter was in a car or truck or on foot,” MacLennan said. “The only assumption we are making preliminarily is that (the bullets) were coming from (behind them).”

“They were not totally open conversations (that the two victims had with the police),” MacLennan said. “They were a bit subdued. They said that once they contact their legal counsel they will be open with us — is the impression we have.”

MacLennan said the two did not say if the counsel they would be contacting is a Hells Angels attorney.

[Vidalia]

Yeehaww, or however it is expressed in Yankee talk......

Going after the law is the best thing to do, cuz we all know all the law is bad.

The bikers cannot be busted, since their brothers over in Calipornia "promised" the idiot legislators that they would not traffic in drugs in California....

Badda bing, Badda Boom! Has to be, right?

[NMFXSTC]

Ya think maybe the perp coulda been a wanabe or redneck type that is pissed cuz he doesn't have a bike?

Lumping "bikers" into a single category is nuts! Ever price a Harley and all the goodies we add to them? The vast majority of folks on scooters these days are law abiding, productive (if not professional) citizens.

From this article (which is more about some ego flaunting politicos than bikers anyway) one would think these towns "allow" us into their communities. Far from it! How ya gonna stop access to things like Laconia, Sturgis, Daytona, Rolling Thunder in DC on Memorial Day? NOT! (Besides which, the townsfolk love to see and hear us coming...sounds like cash registers in their ears and they know it!)

The HAs and the few other "organized gangs" not withstanding, the scootr crowd generally polices itself. And, if you ever speak to them, you'll discover college grads, graduate and professional degreed folks, people in the $70IK and above earnings group, and a pretty decent bunch of folks.

Sadly, there are the ghestapo, jackbooted cops like some of these yokles in every county...ever notice how they attempt to use an advanced vocabulary and end up sounding like some sort of backwoods, elementary educated bumbler?

Welcome the bikers and have a chat with them...I am certain you will be surprized at their behavior and attitude...we hate these incidents as much as anyone, but..look...where do these things happen...out of town, usually....and incidents are far less frequent and numerous than these hype articles lead one to believe.