Rival Motorcycle clubs shoot out at Twin Peaks Waco

WACO, Texas (Reuters) - The local Harley Davidson dealership was closed, motorcycle riders were asked to stay off the roads and police snipers took to rooftops to watch Waco streets after a deadly gangland shooting caused many to cast a colder eye on bikers.

Police did not say how long the request would last.

Riders asked the public to take a breath, relax and realize that criminality is the rare exception for members of motorcycle clubs.

Waco Police said they have been threatened by motorcycle gangs after a Sunday shoot out between rivals at a Twin Peaks restaurant that left nine dead and 18 injured. They asked bikers to stay off the streets because it was difficult to distinguish between law-abiding riders and those bent on criminality.

Members and supporters of the riding community took to social media in defense of motorcycle clubs, mentioning charity work by organizations such as Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A), which attend court appearances in support of child abuse victims.

"There are biker clubs out there who are not criminal. Not everyone who looks 'bad' is bad. And not everyone who looks 'good' is good," wrote Waco resident Jennifer Parsons on the police department's Facebook page.

Harley Davidson-Waco, located about half a mile from the crime scene, was closed indefinitely at the request of police, according to its Facebook page.

"We will be working closely with Waco PD to determine when it is safe to reopen. They have also requested that you avoid riding in the area if you have another form of transportation," the shop posted.

One of the groups involved in the Texas shooting, the Bandidos, was listed by the U.S. Justice Department as an outlaw motorcycle gang that produces and peddles drugs.

Twin Peaks, known for its scantily clad waitresses, said in a statement it is suspending all "bike nights" at its corporate-owned locations and encouraging franchises to do the same during the investigation.

Several locations in Texas announced they were postponing Monday's planned bikini contest and offered prayers to those affected by the shooting.

Finding motorcycles in downtown Waco stores proved difficult. The most obvious ones were the 100 or so in the Twin Peaks parking lot belonging to the 170 people arrested in Sunday's violent fight.

And those bikes were being towed away on Monday.

Source

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JB Books said:

My point is that my interactions with 1%ers have been good. For all their image of rowdiness, violence, etc., they are much nicer clients than many of the groups of people who portray themselves as "good and nice." That's my only point. As LEOs, I'm sure there are many people here who have had extremely negative interactions.

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RidgeHunter said:

You'll think this is rich.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/06/bar-sign-no-colors-facebook-uproar/5252545/

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Ryan78 said:

I have to agree from my own personal experiences. Some of the most solid guys I know are bikers....because I have witnessed some of the most selfless acts come from them.

Now am I saying what happened in Waco was right...no.

What I am saying is a lot of people are passing judgement on the group as a whole, without knowing facts. Just what the media has told them, and what they saw in the movies. Every group whether it be race, religion, biker, LEO, whatever it is, has bad people in it...but that doesn't make the whole group bad.

The fact is at the end of the day...these were human lives. These lives meant something to someone. You don't have to approve of their lifestyle...but let's show some respect.

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Ryan78 said:

I have to agree from my own personal experiences. Some of the most solid guys I know are bikers....because I have witnessed some of the most selfless acts come from them.

Now am I saying what happened in Waco was right...no.

What I am saying is a lot of people are passing judgement on the group as a whole, without knowing facts. Just what the media has told them, and what they saw in the movies. Every group whether it be race, religion, biker, LEO, whatever it is, has bad people in it...but that doesn't make the whole group bad.

The fact is at the end of the day...these were human lives. These lives meant something to someone. You don't have to approve of their lifestyle...but let's show some respect.

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RidgeHunter said:

You'll think this is rich.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/06/bar-sign-no-colors-facebook-uproar/5252545/

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tRidiot said:

You want us to "show respect" for a group of guys who thought being in a club that fights with other IDENTICAL clubs and has(had) a propensity for deadly shootouts at a public restaurant endangering the lives of who knows how many people? Wasn't this restaurant in a strip mall, I read?


Yeah... no.


I'll "show respect" to the Christian Motorcycle Association, Bikers for Christ, United Bikers Against Drugs, the Shriners, etc. Not to these guys. Sorry, man. I guess I'm "intolerant".

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tRidiot said:

I'll "show respect" to the Christian Motorcycle Association, Bikers for Christ, United Bikers Against Drugs, the Shriners, etc. Not to these guys. Sorry, man. I guess I'm "intolerant".

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