Bandidos M.C. and Cossacks M.C. rival motorcycle club members involved in deadly brawl at two local restaurants in Waco.
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
Waco, Texas - On Sunday, members of the outlaw Bandidos M.C. and Cossacks M.C. rival motorcycle club began a fists fight altercation that ignited into a gun battle just outside of the Twin Peaks and Don Carlos Restaurants at the Central Texas Market Place in Waco around 12:15 p.m., according to police. At least nine victims were killed and 25 were reported injured and hospitalized with gunshot and knife wounds. Police say, that they believe all of the reported dead victims were bikers, but have not been identified.
Multiple different motorcycle clubs, Independent groups and affiliates supporting either the Bandidos and Cossacks were attending a scheduled Region 1 function meeting at Twin Peaks Restaurant sponsored by the Texas Confederation of Clubs and Independents (TCCI). The Chairperson for the Region 1 meeting was Bandido member "Gimme Jimmy."
Waco Police Sergeant Patrick Swanton in a press conference stated that at least 100 guns, including multiple knives and clubs were confiscated at the scene. About one hundred bikers were at the scene when the altercation began inside one of the restaurants and spilled outside into the parking lot.
No civilians or police were reported injured, according to Sgt. Swanton. When police arrived at the scene, Sgt. Swanton said they saw a total chaos and bikers began to shoot at police. Police returned fire.
Law enforcement agencies from local, county, state and federal responded to the scene. About 30 suspects have been arrested and were taken to a undisclosed downtown location for interrogation.
Numerous armed bikers have been reported arriving in Waco, but police have closed the area where the deadly battle between rival motorcycle clubs occurred. Authorities expect biker retaliations between the outlaw groups.
According to the biker scene, the Bandidos (Est. 1966) and Cossacks (Est. 1969) Motorcycle Clubs have been engaged in a war since 2013, when Bandidos President Curtis Jack Louis, 46, and Wesley Dale Mason, 36, Sergeant of Arms stabbed two members of the Cossacks outside the Logan's Roadhouse restaurant in Abilene. The victims survived.
Last December after an affiliate member of the Bandidos was beaten by members of the Cossacks, in retaliation, Geoffrey Brady, 41, of Arlington, a member of the Ghostriders M.C. associated with the Cossacks was fatally shot multiple times at the Gator's Jam Inn in Fort Worth. Three Bandidos members, Nicholas Povendo, 33, Robert Stover, 47, of River Oaks and Wayne Baker, 59, of Fort Worth were charged with Brady's murder in December.
The Cossacks M.C. had changed their club colors and began wearing the "Texas" bottom rocker (patch), despite the Bandidos objections.
In many states, any motorcycle group who wants to wear colors (club logo) as a M.C., especially a three patch style of colors, they would have to be approved by the dominant outlaw motorcycle club in the state. Independent riding groups or associations don't need approval, since they are not considered an M.C.
The Cossacks M.C. has members from law enforcement, including other professions and from all walks of life and have claimed that the Bandidos as an outlaw club have been attempting to extort the Cossacks. The Bandidos attempted to charge each member of the Cossacks $100 for the privilege to wear colors made by the outlaw club. The Cossacks refused to pay the Bandidos to make their colors and since the Cossacks have added Texas to the bottom of their rockers, the feud has escalated.
Recently, it was reported that any person who buys and registers a motorcycle with a state motor vehicle registration department, their registration automatically gets registered with the FBI's national registry/file of outlaw motorcycle clubs in the U.S. whether the motorcycle owner is a member or not of an outlaw M.C.
It's not illegal to become a member of an outlaw M.C. or to wear any motorcycle club colors publicly, only when the member or members engage in criminal activity. Not all motorcycle clubs, riding groups or associations are outlaw M.C.s, only 1% of M.C.s are outlaw clubs.
The following nine victims were killed during the Twin Peaks Restaurant biker gun battle between the Bandidos and Cassacks M.C.s in Waco, Texas.
● Daniel Raymond Boyett, 44, shot in the head. (Cossacks M.C.)
● Wayne Lee Campbell, 43, shot in the head. (Cossacks M.C.)
● Richard Mathew Jordan Jr., 31, shot in the head.
● Richard Vincent Kirshner, Jr., 47. (Cossacks M.C.)
● Jacob Lee Rhyne, 39, shot in the neck. (Cossacks M.C.)
● Jesús Delgado Rodriguez, 65, shot in the head. (Bandidos M.C. affilate)
● Manuel Issac Rodriguez, 40. (Bandidos M.C.)
● Charles Wayne Russell, 46, shot in the chest. (Cossacks M.C.)
● Matthew Mark Smith, 27. (Cossacks M.C.)
The following 143 suspects were arrested and booked on Sunday at the McLennan County Detention Center (jail) in Waco, Texas and were charged with one felony count each for Engaging in Organized Crime. Bail was set at $1M each. (Click on image to enlarge)
1. William Chance Aikin, 2. Ray Arnold Allen, 3. John O. Arnold, 4. Ronald Noel Atterbury, 5. Colter Bajovich, 6. Michael Don Baxley, 7. Timothy Todd Bayless, 8. Richard Benavides, 9. Burton George Bergman, 10. Ronnie Carl Bishop, 11. Mitchell W. Bradford, 12. Brian Joseph Brincks, 13. Robert Clinton Bucy, 14. Salvador Berber Campos, 15. Richard Cantu Jr., 16. Kenneth Robert Carlisle, 17. Jason L. Cavazos, 18. Rene Cavazos, 19. David Cepeda, 20. Nathan Champeau, 21. Michael E. Chaney, 22. Roy James Covey, 23. Bohar Lee Crump Jr., 24. James Albert David Jr., 25. Dalton R. Davis, 26. James Michael Devoll, 27. Jason Alan Dillard, 28. Brian Clark Eickenhorst, 29. James Brent Eney, 30. Morgan Jane English (female), 31. Nate Christian Andens Farish, 32. Matthew Ryan Folse, 33. Lance Alan Geneva, 34. Mario Alberto Gonzalez Jr., 35. James Laray Gray, 36. Nathan Clark Grindstaff, 37. Bryan Tackitt Harper, 38. Arley Lester Harris III, 39. Raymond Clifton Hawes III, 40. Jarrón Ray Hernández, 41. Michael Scott Herring, 42. Tommy Keith Jennings, 43. Daniel Carol Johnson, 44. Edgar E. Kelleher, 45. Laurence Wayne Kemp, 46. Michael Ray Kemes, 47. Jeremy King, 48. Richard Martin Kreder, 49. Cody Keith Ledbetter, 50. Jarrod D. Lehman, 51. Brian Dwight Logan, 52. Jonathan Michael, 53. Richard Olen Luther, 54. Michael Lynch, 55. Sandra Erler Lynch (female), 56. Noble C. Mallard, 57. Terry Scott Martin, 58. Eleazar Martínez, 59. John Anthony Martínez, 60. Joseph P. Matthews, 61. Wesley A. McAlister, 62. Dustin James McCann, 63. Billy Jason Mcree, 64.Tom Modesto Mendez, 65. Rudy T. Mercado, 66. Marshall Mitchell, 67. Michael Doyle Moore, 68. Jason Jesse Moreno, 69. John David Moya, 70. Robert Leon Nichols, 71. Diego Nerio Obledo, 72. Dusty Alan Oehlert, 73. Melvin Michael Pattenaude, 74. Julie Elaine Perkins (female), 75. Larry E. Pina, 76. Jerry Lee Pollard, 77. Jimmy Lee Pond, 78. David Stephen Rasor, 79. Clayton Dewayne Reed, 80. Jacob C. Reese, 81. Owen Lee Reese, 82. Rolando Reyes, 83. Sergio Reyes, 84. Kristoffer Lance Rhyne, 85. Robert Liewellyn Robertson, 86. Boyce Ray Rockett, 87. Jorge Daniel Salinas, 88. Trey Alston Short, 89. Kyle Smith, 90. Seth A. Smith, 91. Jimmy Dayton Spencer, 92. Blake Scott Taylor, 93. Michael Glenn Thomas, 94. Christian A. Valencia, 95. José Andrew Valle, 96. John Phillip Vensel, 97. Justin Nash Weddington, 98. Glenn Allan Walker, 99. Steven Walker, 100. Ester Sandy Weaver (female), 101. Walter Thomas Weaver, 102. Mark Allen White, 103. John Samuel Wiley, 104. Jacob Ryan Wilson, 105. John Robert Wilson, 106. Ricky Wayne Wycough, 107. Gage Andrew Yarborough, 108. Kevin Gene Rash, 109. Ronald Warren, 110. Juan García, 111. Jim Harris, 112. Andrew Sandoval, 113. Bobby Samford, 114. Daniel Pesina, 115. Doss Murphy, 116. Gregory Salazar, 117. James Rosas, 118. Jeremy Ojeda, 119. Joseph Ortiz, 120. Josh Martin, 121. Juventino Montellano, 122. Marcus Pilkington, 123. Martin Lewis, 124. Narciso Luna, 125. John Craft, 126. Jeff Battey, 127. Gregory Wingo, 128. Greg Corrales, 129. Gilbert Zamora, 130. Christopher Carrizal, 131. Christopher Stainton, 132. Andrew Stroer, 133. Aaron Carpenter, 134. James Venable, 135. Lindell Copeland, 136. Matthew Clendennen, 137. Michael Woods, 138. Noe Adame, 139. Owen Bartlett, 140. Reginald Weathers, 141. Royce Vanvleck, 142. Ryan Craft, 143. Yager Lawrence
Update: CCTV video from inside Twin Peaks Restaurant shows that no biker fist fight happened inside as Waco Police Sergeant Patrick Swanton has stated. The video footage contradicted the police version. Also, that more than 27 bikers were injured by police gunfire and that most of the deceased bikers were killed by police gunfire.
An assistant Waco police chief and the entire SWAT team were just across from the Twin Peaks Restaurant when the biker brawl in the parking lot began.
Other biker clubs and groups that had gathered for the TCCI meeting at the Twin Peaks Restaurant were the Black Arms M.C., Escondidos M.C., Gypsy M.C., HonorBound Motorcycle Ministry, In Country M.C., Leathernecks M.C., Los Pirados M.C., Renatus M.C., Scimitars M.C., Tornado Motorcycle Club, the Vietnam Vet/Legacy Vets M.C., Distorted M.C., Los Caballeros M.C., the Bogatyrs and the Vise Grip M.C.
Speculation and allegations raised in social media by bikers indicate that most of the victims were killed by police gunfire. Some bikers are calling it a massacre by Waco police.
Waco police have confirmed that at least 17 officers including SWAT team members had been monitoring the gathering from near by.
A fist fight brawl between bikers began inside a restaurant and then spilled outside into the parking lot. A biker took out a knife and stabbed two other bikers. Another biker took out a handgun when police moved in within 30 seconds of responding from where they were stationed and opened fire at the bikers. Sgt. Swanton says, police were fired upon first, but many bikers in social media believe otherwise and are calling it a police massacre ending with multiple murders. Police sources speculate that at least four bikers were killed by police, but ballistic forensic testing will eventually determine how many bikers were killed by police gunfire.
Police are reviewing video surveillance cameras in the Texas Market Place and squad dash cameras to determine who shot who during the melee.
Police haven't confirmed, if the police unit monitoring the biker gathering on Sunday were taking photographs and video intelligence surveillance as many law enforcement agencies are known to do when spying on outlaw M.C.s.
Some bikers at the scene had Conceal Carry Weapon permits legally and might have taken out their weapons for self-defense.
On Monday, the Waco Police Department released the following statement, "Still a very active crime scene this morning at Twin Peaks. Our investigation will continue throughout the day. Crime scene is littered with bullets, blood and other evidence. Civilian as well as Police units with bullet holes remain to be processed.
"192 individuals are being arrested and processed this morning in reference to the Twin Peaks Shooting. They will all face Engaging in Organized Crime charges. They are being booked and processed at this time. McLennan County District Attorney is involved in our investigation and has been assisting us throughout the night.
"TABC (Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission) is implementing a Summary Suspension closing Twin Peaks for at least 7 days. This is not a punitive action on TABC's part but done due to the ongoing danger it presents to our community. They are conducting a parallel investigation and further action may be forthcoming."
Also on Monday, the Twin Peaks franchised chain in Texas decided to revoke the Waco Twin Peaks franchise in wake of Sunday's deadly incident between biker motorcycle clubs.
