Tuesday, October 13, 2015
What went down at Twin Peaks
GQ Magazine, of all places, recently had a fascinating story about the Twin Peaks shoot-out in Waco. Among other things, it attempts to sort out how the whole debacle got started:
As a general rule, bikers are
not big talkers. It's an insular and suspicious world, especially in
Texas, especially now, in the hazy aftermath of the bloodiest day in the
often sensationalized history of American biker clubs. Nevertheless,
all the Cossacks interviewed by GQ for this story insist they
showed up that morning to make peace. And virtually every biker I spoke
with last June and July—Cossacks, Bandidos, members of multiple other
clubs, 22 bikers in total—believes that the real blame for all the dead
bodies belongs with the Waco police.
Anonymous Cossack #1:
(1) We had almost 70 men, and we showed up at the same time, because we
don't like being left on the road in small groups, because of what's
been happening. We went in and ordered drinks.
Vincent Glenn (officer, Waco P.D., from an affidavit dated June 15):
The Cossacks and their support clubs took over the patio area, which is
the exact area of the restaurant that was reserved for the [COC]
meeting.
Anonymous motorcycle-club member:
We noticed all the Cossacks sitting on the patio. We gave respect to
them, them being a bigger group and having so many people there.
Anonymous Cossack #1:
A group of seven Bandidos rolled up on bikes, furious that we were
parking up front. They hit one of our prospects, an older guy—ran over
his foot.
Reginald Weathers (Bandidos, from court testimony at his bail hearing):
My president and vice president tried to back in, and immediately the
Cossacks on the porch came out and started pushing their bikes [away],
saying they couldn't park there. [Cossacks] kept coming off the patio,
over the fence—60 to 100 guys. They were yelling at my president [and]
my vice president.
Glenn (from his affidavit): Several of the Cossacks pulled their weapons, including handguns.
Anonymous Cossack #1:
Of course, we're not gonna back down. We're men. One of our sergeants
at arms—our guys in charge of security—said, “We can take our cuts
[vests with club patches] off right now, and you and I can fight.” The
guy says, “No, we're not doin' that.” Our sergeant at arms says, “Then
let's go in and have a beer and talk about it.”
John Wilson (Cossacks Motorcycle Club, McLennan County chapter president): It looked like it was all going to calm down.
Anonymous Cossack #2: And then somebody, I think it was a Bandido, said, “Don't talk to my president that way.”
Weathers (from court testimony):
I said, “I don't think you need to talk to my president like that.” I
didn't think it was very respectful. He hit me. My head got pulled down.
There was a crowd of guys, and I couldn't see anything.
Anonymous Cossack #2: Fists flew, and it was game on. They went to the ground. Seconds later, I heard bang!
Comments:
Read the article.
Solid citizens-not. Citizens-yes. Police provocation a la fort Sumter-not likely, but can't be ruled out. Constitutional rights of some violated-maybe. Issues of credibility-all sides. Sympathy for the "tribesmen"-not so much. Sympathy for the police-more so, perhaps. Bonanza for lawyers-of course. Questions, questions, questions-and then some. Adds substance to M. Osler's blog of the other day-you know it.
Morals of this story/event/tragedy-too many to enumerate with exactitude, but steering clear of biker clubs-no brainer.
Why do bad things happen so often to/in/around this very nice small Texas city-ask a rabbi. I haven't the foggiest.
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Read the article.
Solid citizens-not. Citizens-yes. Police provocation a la fort Sumter-not likely, but can't be ruled out. Constitutional rights of some violated-maybe. Issues of credibility-all sides. Sympathy for the "tribesmen"-not so much. Sympathy for the police-more so, perhaps. Bonanza for lawyers-of course. Questions, questions, questions-and then some. Adds substance to M. Osler's blog of the other day-you know it.
Morals of this story/event/tragedy-too many to enumerate with exactitude, but steering clear of biker clubs-no brainer.
Why do bad things happen so often to/in/around this very nice small Texas city-ask a rabbi. I haven't the foggiest.
# posted by 
: 8:46 PM
: 8:46 PM
It is odd, isn't it? Waco is in many ways the most normal place in the world, but seems to be in a vortex for weirdness.
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