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Life and death in Waco: A biker's story
Houston Chronicle ^ | June 20, 2015 | Dane Schiller

Posted on 06/20/2015 12:21:51 PM PDT by Elderberry

WACO - On a recent Sunday, a Cossacks Motorcycle Club officer nicknamed Diesel sipped a Diet Dr Pepper on the patio of Twin Peaks and broke the news to his son, who was also a member.

The 63 Cossacks and their supporters at the restaurant were not just waiting to have lunch with fellow bikers from around Central Texas. They had come for a special sit down with the Bandidos, to hash out an ongoing dispute.

Before their meal arrived, Diesel was shot, execution-style, with two bullets to the back of his head.

Cody Ledbetter, 26, survived the May 17 melee that left nine people dead, 18 wounded and 177 charged with engaging in organized crime.

His first-hand account of his father's death - and what played out just before and after - was shared with the Houston Chronicle from his home in Waco.

He disputes any contention by Waco police that there was a planned brawl between rival motorcycle gangs. He says the Cossacks were not expecting to fight. Instead, tough talk quickly escalated to bullets.

(Excerpt) Read more at houstonchronicle.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: policebrutality; texasgatortroll; waco; wacobikers
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1 posted on 06/20/2015 12:21:51 PM PDT by Elderberry
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To: Elderberry
I'm going to step out on a limb and say that joining an outlaw biker gang may not be a great life choice.
2 posted on 06/20/2015 12:25:09 PM PDT by fungoking (Tis a pleasure to live in the Ozarks)
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To: Elderberry

Subscription site.


3 posted on 06/20/2015 12:29:07 PM PDT by READINABLUESTATE ("If guns cause crime, there must be something wrong with mine." -Ted Nugent)
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Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: Elderberry

Accidental execution?


5 posted on 06/20/2015 12:56:23 PM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: fungoking

They keep casting the cops as suspects but that narrative falls apart every time. The Cossacks crashed the party and got shot up by the Banditos. Those griping about the popo just seem like a bunch of whiners.


6 posted on 06/20/2015 1:16:54 PM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie
Cossacks where already at the restaurant, the Banditos pull up, and the Cossacks crashed the party? A ‘party’ that was a confederation of colors?

There's still a ton that the police have yet to release, but this seems to be consistent with the AP report on the viewing of Twin Peak's CCTV tape.

7 posted on 06/20/2015 1:22:10 PM PDT by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
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To: kingu

Yes it was a pre planned event and they weren’t invited because they were not part of the organization sponsoring the meeting. That’s probably why they got there early.


8 posted on 06/20/2015 1:36:49 PM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: Elderberry; All
Note the TOTAL ABSENCE of reference to organized criminal activity on the part of Cossacks, other than self defense, let alone any crimes at all -- not even illegal carry, as the guy's dad was permitted.

The son didn't even have a criminal record, don't know about the dad.

And remember, Elderberry and everyone else reading -- those red-and-gold "support clubs" of Bandidos rode right past at least half a dozen MARKED POLICE CARS on their way in. It's not mentioned in the article, but it was part of the context.

The article doesn't also mention that pics taken afterward clearly indicate the presence of under-cover Cossacks -- to wit, official LEO pretending to be Cossacks, perhaps Bandidos as well. A lot easier for provocateur UC agents to manipulating some Cossacks -- for a UC "criminal gang" cop, I'd think it would be a hell of a lot more dangerous to infiltrate a real bad-ass biker gang like the Bandidos (smart enough to come in pick-ups) than one populated with such "criminal" Cossacks as the young arrestee who had a b-b- gun in his truck that was seized.

9 posted on 06/20/2015 1:37:32 PM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: Elderberry

Hard to respect (supposedly) grown men fighting and killing each other over turf and fashion accents. However, if you’re a rival club and you know this will cause friction, why not just use something like “Lone Star State” instead?


10 posted on 06/20/2015 1:58:14 PM PDT by edpc (Wilby 2016)
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To: edpc

Somehow I think it was over much more than the “Texas Rocker”


11 posted on 06/20/2015 2:07:17 PM PDT by Elderberry
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To: Elderberry

Wasn’t there a mention somewhere that a leader of the Cossacks was involved in some border patrolling on private property? Almost like a Minutemen deal, but with bikers instead. Down near Mc Allen?


12 posted on 06/20/2015 2:31:30 PM PDT by ponygirl (Put. A. Bird. On. It.)
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To: Elderberry

“Days after a biker shootout at a Texas restaurant, the same group that organized the motorcyclists’ meeting that turned violent received a proclamation from the Waco City Council designating May as “Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month.””


13 posted on 06/20/2015 2:33:25 PM PDT by Paladin2 (Ive given up on aphostrophys and spell chek on my current device...)
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To: Finny

But, but they were NOT wearing vests!!!!!!!

The meme by law enforcement was the Cossacks were the bad guys which falls apart with this view of the story. Oops, no mention of a bathroom brawl that moved through the restaurant and finally outside leaving blood and guts splattered everywhere making the restaurant “surreal” according to Sgt. Swanton.

The only thing I want to know is which ones were the under cover cops who stirred the pot.


14 posted on 06/20/2015 2:50:10 PM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: bgill

That I think is the Key that opens the beginning and the end of this story


15 posted on 06/20/2015 3:05:37 PM PDT by easternsky
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To: Elderberry
To continue reading this story, you will need to be a digital subscriber to HoustonChronicle.com.
16 posted on 06/20/2015 3:14:00 PM PDT by Chuckster ("Them Rag Heads just ain't rational" Curly Bartley 1973)
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To: Chuckster

It’s all on post 4


17 posted on 06/20/2015 3:19:35 PM PDT by Elderberry
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To: Elderberry

Thanks. Saw it after i posted


18 posted on 06/20/2015 3:30:26 PM PDT by Chuckster ("Them Rag Heads just ain't rational" Curly Bartley 1973)
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To: bgill
But, but they were NOT wearing vests!!!!!!!

Who wasn't wearing vests? Where does it say? Thanks!

19 posted on 06/20/2015 3:38:45 PM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: Finny
Right there in #4 above - They were not even wearing their leather riding vests, known as cuts
20 posted on 06/20/2015 3:44:22 PM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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