Texas Police Charge Over 170 People Linked to Deadly Biker Gang Shootout
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Police in Waco have charged 170 people with “organized crime in reference to ... capital murder” in what could potentially represent the largest mass arrest on a capital charge in American history.
They were arrested and charged in connection with a deadly shootout between rival biker gangs on Sunday in Waco, Texas, which left nine dead and 18 injured.
“170 individuals are being booked and processed for engaging in organized crime; that organized crime is capital murder,” sergeant Patrick Swanton, a spokesperson for Waco police department, said in a press conference Monday, adding that the investigation was still ongoing.
When called for comment, a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office in McLennan county said they were unable to confirm Swanton’s statement at this time, the Guardian reported.
Heightened security measures were in place on Monday following the shootout on Sunday at a Twin Peaks restaurant, according to local police. Parts of downtown Waco remained locked down, with officials questioning motorcycle riders.
All those killed and injured were gang members, police said. The McLennan County sheriff, Parnell McNamara, whose office was involved in the investigation, said all nine who were killed were members of the Bandidos or Cossacks gangs.
The Bandidos are considered one of the world’s largest biker gangs – behind the Hells Angels – with as many as 2,500 members in 13 countries, according to the US Department of Justice. In a 2014 gang threat assessment, the Texas department of public safety classified the group as a “tier 2 threat”, the second highest.
On Monday morning, the restaurant and surrounding area were still littered with bullets and blood. Police said parts of the crime scene were yet to be processed.
