Police Sergeant: "There Has Been Enough Bloodshed In Waco, Texas"
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WACO (CBSDFW.COM) - There's new information today about the deadly shootout involving groups of bikers and police in Waco. Officials say the investigation into the deaths of nine bikers, and injury of more than a dozen others, will take at least several weeks to complete.
As far as the still still locked down crime area, Waco police Sergeant W. Patrick Swanton said, "A good, optimistic timeframe for us to clear this scene will be by sometime tomorrow [Wednesday] mid-morning."
During a morning press conference Sgt. Swanton explained that events on Sunday began with a planned meeting of one group of biker members. The meeting, at a Twin Peaks Restaurant, was an invitation only event.
Sergeant Swanton said outsiders started a 'turf war'. "We know an additional biker gang, that was not invited to this meeting, showed up. When those individuals showed up there was a disturbance in the parking lot, and I mentioned that early on. I have additional information this morning that that may have gone beyond a parking incident, to somebody had their foot run over and started the disturbance."
♦♦♦ See The Mugshots Of Some Of The Suspects In The Waco Gang Shootout ♦♦♦
Investigators say they are dealing with several crime scenes. "We know that we have blood on the inside of Twin Peaks, as well as numerous pieces of evidence both inside and out."
Waco police say the sheer volume of evidence that has to be collected requires meticulous work and will take time. "We believe we have at least 80 cars and pickups still to remain at the scene that we will need to remove. Most of those for one reason or another contain evidence or have been involved in the crime scene where we believe they are evidence," Sgt. Swanton said. "There are approximately 135 motorcycles that will need to be removed from the crime scene and transported to a secure location."
Sergeant Swanton said additional, out of town, gang members had come to the Waco area and that there had been threats made toward law enforcement, but that the number of people and menacing messages had lessened over the last 24 hours.
The Sergeant had a message for the community and for biker gang members. "There has been enough tragedy and there has been enough bloodshed in Waco, Texas -- we would appreciate there not being anymore. Are we asking for cooperation from known criminal bike gangs? Absolutely, we are. We are asking them to stand down. We are asking them to let us sort through our investigation and we will be honest with them as well as we were honest with you all and will continue to be."
While the calls for calm continued police admitted that with bikers and gang members "violence usually condones more violence," and that the turbulent situation is "most likely" not over.
♦♦♦ Cossacks Gang Member Says Bandidos Gang Caused The Bloodshed ♦♦♦
Police said the majority of the people killed, arrested or hurt are not from the Waco area. Sergeant Swanton said officials have been inundated with calls from individuals claiming to be family members, trying to find out the names of those killed or injured.
The autopsies on the dead were performed by the medical examiner at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas. Four of the nine men killed are from North Texas. Their cause of death reports list the victims as:
- Richard Vincent Kirshner Jr, 47 -- Richardson
Cause of death: Gunshot wounds - Jacob Lee Rhyne, 39
Cause of death: Gunshot wound of the neck - Wayne Lee Campbell, 43 -- Rowlett
Cause of death: Gunshot wound of the head into the trunk - Daniel Raymond Boyett, 44
Cause of death: Gunshot wounds of the head - Charles Wayne Russell, 46
Cause of death: Gunshot wound to the chest - Jesus Delgado Rodriguez, 65
Cause of death: Gunshot wound to the head and trunk - Richard Matthew Jordan II, 31
Cause of death: Gunshot wound to the head - Manuel Issac Rodriguez, 40 -- Allen
Cause of death: Gunshot wounds - Matthew Mark Smith, 27 -- Keller
Cause of death: Gunshot wounds to the trunk
As of Tuesday afternoon seven of the original 18 people injured remain hospitalized. As for those who have been released police said they know where those individuals are and there is a possibility they could be arrested.
There had been some 50 weapons already confiscated and during an afternoon press conference Sgt. Swanton said, "From the vehicles that we have searched this afternoon and throughout the day, we are continuing to find weapons in those vehicles. Some of those weapons are high-caliber weapons and that's all I'll say about that."
When asked about the officers at the scene before the shooting Sgt. Swanton gave an exact number and commented on how they have been impacted. "There were 18 Waco police officers that were here on the scene. We know that every one of those officers, whether they fired or not, were involved in the police involved shooting, because they witnessed the violence of it or they actually pulled the trigger," he said. "None of us, that wear the badge and put on a uniform, come to work with the hope or idea of wanting to kill one of our citizens. That is the last thing that we want to do and it is absolutely a nightmare."
Police say all of the officers monitoring the scene at the restaurant were in the parking lot, because they "were not welcome by management" to be inside.
So far, more than 170 gang members have been arrested and booked on charges of engaging in organized criminal activity. McLennan County Justice of the Peace W.H. Peterson set bond at $1 million for each suspect. No murder charges have been filed.
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