WACO, Texas — A deadly gunfight between rival motorcycle gangs at a local restaurant could have been prevented by the eatery's management, Waco police said Monday.
Nine people were killed and at least 18 more were injured in a melee Sunday involving guns, knives, clubs and other paraphernalia at the Twin Peaks restaurant. Police said Monday that 192 people were being arrested on Engaging in Organized Crime charges.
Sgt. Patrick Swanton said Waco police knew before Sunday's shootout that there would be trouble. Police had officers at the scene and attempted to work with management before Sunday, but the restaurant refused, Swanton said.
"What happened ... could have been avoided if we would have had management at a local establishment listen to their police department and assist us," said Swanton on Sunday night. "They failed to do that, and this is the event that happened."
Remarkably, Swanton said, all of the dead or injured were "members of criminal biker gangs." Bystanders at the shopping center and a nearby restaurant — as well as police present when the shootout spilled into the parking lot — were "all unscathed," he said.
One officer at the scene was hospitalized due to a "heat-related issue," not an injury, he said.
"Fortunately, none of our officers, nor any of our innocent civilians, were injured in this melee here today," he said.
Swanton said police expected to recover about 100 weapons from the crime scene — one of the worst he'd ever encountered. The Dallas Morning News reported that about 150 to 200 members from five biker gangs were on the scene, according to Swanton.
The initial fight, he said, began in the Twin Peaks restroom. He told KWTX-TV that the fight quickly escalated from fists and feet to chains, clubs and knives, then to gunfire.
Swanton said police knew there could be trouble at the restaurant, as they'd learned that a gang "recruitment" event was taking place at Twin Peaks. He said police tried to keep the gathering from happening, but that restaurant management refused to cooperate.
"What happened here today could have been avoided if we'd had management at a local establishment listen to their police department and assist us," he said. "They failed to do that and this is the event, what happened."
He said police in the parking lot were fired upon and returned fire. Law enforcement may well have inflicted some of the injuries or deaths, he said, but he added that until the investigation is complete he couldn't be sure. "Obviously, we've got a long way to go on this crime scene behind us."
No comments:
Post a Comment